2021 SAEMF ARMED Pilot Grant - $25,000

"Identifying Rate and Characteristics of Interhospital Transfers by Air Transport”

Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) have rapidly proliferated in the United States with survey-based data suggesting growth from fewer than 100 helicopters in the early 1980s to more than 1,200 helicopters providing 400,000 flights annually. HEMS costs have increased even more rapidly, roughly doubling between 2010 and 2014 to $30,000 in charges per transport. Due to limitations on available data, formal evaluation of HEMS utilization has been limited. The goals of the overall research program are to promote resource stewardship for this increasingly frequent high-cost intervention and advance rigorous clinical quality improvement.