Singapore Civil Defence Force’s Post

Air Ambulances make a Difference in Rural Emergencies Why do you need an Air Ambulance? Cardiac arrest, a rupturing aneurism, anaphylactic shock, heavy equipment accident – the reasons people need emergency medical care are many. For the most serious, and when time is one of the factors determining positive outcomes, air ambulances are often called to the scene. For most people, the arrival of an air ambulance crew is a relief—knowing that they are one step closer to the definitive care they need. For Teresa, a patient from rural Georgia, AirEvac Lifeteam, an AirMedCare Network provider, made all the difference after she suffered a stroke at home. Because of the quick thinking of local first responders and the availability of the air ambulance, Teresa was able to receive a clot-busting drug, TPA, which resulted in the rapid resolution of her stroke deficits. In the video below, Teresa credits the entire care team for her outstanding outcome, but especially the rapid response of the air ambulance crew that ensured she would arrive at the hospital in time to receive the drug she desperately needed. Even living in more suburban areas, transport of patients for specialty services, like a Cath lab or Trauma services, also can require transfer via air ambulance due to distance or simply traffic concerns. When you might need an air ambulance, and for what reason, can be more difficult to determine. Planning for this possibility, for you and your entire household, doesn’t have to be. Assess your need for Air Ambulance Care Like Teresa and thousands of other patients, it’s easy to assume that you or your family will never need air ambulance care. For hundreds of people every day, that assumption is proven to be false. Assessing the probability that you may have emergent medical needs is important and will help you and your family be financially prepared for this critical health intervention. Start by answering: https://ow.ly/A2ma50TeRPR

[Prioritising SCDF’s Emergency Medical Services Resources for Life-threatening Emergencies] Demand for SCDF’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has significantly increased over the years and is expected to continue to trend upwards due to the increasing and ageing population. With this rising demand for SCDF’s EMS, SCDF has been prioritising the deployment of our emergency medical resources and response based on the severity of the medical emergency through the SCDF’s EMS Tiered Response Framework. First introduced in 2017, various initiatives under the EMS Tiered Response Framework were progressively implemented over the years – enhanced medical call triaging by 995 call-takers at SCDF Operations Centre using the advanced medical protocol system, non-conveyance policy and non-dispatch policy for emergency ambulances. These initiatives allow SCDF to manage and prioritise our stretched EMS resources for life-threatening medical emergencies that require more immediate medical attention, and where every second matters. We would like to thank the public for their understanding and support over the years. SCDF remains committed to meet the increasing EMS demand whilst ensuring operational excellence. At the upcoming SCDF Workplan Seminar on 4 July, SCDF will announce two new EMS initiatives which will build on the existing initiatives rolled out under the EMS Tiered Response Framework and continue to prioritise our response for life-threatening medical emergencies. Stay tuned and remember #Call995OnlyForEmergencies 🚑

Mitigating the harm from delayed initial A&E assessment when ambulances cannot offload... 🏥🫸 🚑🚑🚑 🚑... 🚑... The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives estimates that 9% of patients delayed offload >60mins suffer severe harm. This is because harm occurs when time-critical care is delayed. 🩼... ⏳🚑🚑🚑 🚑... The Royal College of Emergency Medicine describes harm from delay to initial assessment in great detail: ECG/ STEMI, u-HCG/ ectopic and time-critical treatments (for asthma, sepsis, stroke & trauma)/ deterioration & death, to name a few. ⏳... 🫀🫁🧠🦴 RCEM recommends at least 50% of all A&E attendances have their initial assessment <15min of arrival. Time to initial assessment is also nationally tracked through ECDS. Sadly this metric can be met though superior efficiency at the walk-in entrance; reducing the visibility of delays (harm) at the 🚑 entrance. 🚶🚶... 👈⏳🫸 🚑🚑 Three A&E initial assessment models are used when 🚑s cannot offload: ⌚ Wait till offloaded: initial assessment is delayed until the patient is offloaded, 🚑 See on the ambulance: initial assessment is performed by A&E staff in the 🚑, or 🔃 In and back out: the patient is brought to a dedicated assessment area where initial assessment takes place. The patient then goes back out to the 🚑. 'Wait till offloaded' only works if effective site escalation minimises 🚑 offload delay. Harm is otherwise inevitable. 'See on the ambulance' challenges A&E staff with an unfamiliar setting, reduced access to immediate advice & point of care diagnostics, and requires environmental considerations for A&E staff (⛈️🥶💨🥵). This reduces patient harm somewhat, but at the expense of increasing staff risk. 'In and back out' reduces patient harm without increasing staff risk, but the patient doesn't stay in A&E. Managers often struggle with a model where A&E space is purposefully left vacant and not offloaded into. It works for the same reason a non-bedded SDEC works: clinical space is available to continue operations, despite crowding. And everyone gets assessed in a timely manner, irrespective of their location. 🚶🚶... 👈⏳👍🚑🚑 This model requires dedicated, ringfenced space, that are not offloaded into, or bedded. At Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust A&E the number of dedicated spaces equals 10% of their expected daily ambulance arrivals. The model also requires dedicated staff, including a senior decision maker, to ensure efficient turnover. At Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust A&E, their "Pitstop area" is staffed with nurses, clinicians and a consultant. Irrespective of the model, harm inevitably occurs when initial assessment is delayed. And 🚑 arrivals pool higher risk than 🚶s. At NHS England South West, the UEC team tracks the % of 🚑 attendances assessed within 15min for each site, trust and ICS. Applying this metric to 🚑 attendances shows you how effective your A&E initial assessment model is. 🏥⏳🚑👍/👎

Report: Phoenix VA patient died after waiting 11 minutes for emergency care. The Phoenix VA Health Care System was heavily criticized in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) report for its inadequate response to a medical emergency. A patient, who had just left a urology appointment, collapsed outside the facility. It took up to 11 minutes for the patient to receive basic care, only after the Phoenix Fire Department arrived. The patient later died at a community hospital. The OIG highlighted deficiencies in the initiation of emergency care, the quality of care before the emergency, and the completion of quality reviews. This report follows a decade after a major scandal at the Phoenix VA where veterans died while waiting for care, highlighting ongoing issues. The report indicated that staff did not initiate a rapid response or call VA police, citing procedural constraints as the patient was technically outside the building. The OIG criticized this policy misalignment with VHA requirements for patient safety and emergency response. Additional issues included conflicting policies, insufficient CPR training for staff, and limited access to defibrillators. Faults were also found in the patient’s prior care, including the failure to order a cardioverter defibrillator and omission of vital signs during the medical appointment. https://lnkd.in/gNhJbjFM Unfortunately, as someone who has dealt with the Phoenix VA for nearly a decade, these problems seem to plague the VA year after year. Until there are policies that prioritize the lives of veterans, it appears the VA has learned nothing from the major failures dating back to 2014. #VeteranCare #HealthSystemReform #MedicalEmergency

🌟 Exciting News in Healthcare! 🏥 The expansion of same day emergency care services nationwide is making a significant impact! Thousands more people each week are receiving rapid tests and treatment, avoiding overnight hospital stays. New data reveals an impressive 11% increase in the number of patients admitted to hospital as emergencies completing their care and being discharged on the same day. This means hundreds of thousands more patients are receiving urgent care within hours, freeing up vital ward beds for others in need. This progress showcases the commitment to improving patient outcomes and ensuring efficient healthcare delivery. Well done to all involved in making this possible! 🙌 #HealthcareProgress #EmergencyCare #PatientOutcomes

Report: Phoenix VA patient died after waiting 11 minutes for emergency care. The Phoenix VA Health Care System was heavily criticized in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) report for its inadequate response to a medical emergency. A patient, who had just left a urology appointment, collapsed outside the facility. It took up to 11 minutes for the patient to receive basic care, only after the Phoenix Fire Department arrived. The patient later died at a community hospital. The OIG highlighted deficiencies in the initiation of emergency care, the quality of care before the emergency, and the completion of quality reviews. This report follows a decade after a major scandal at the Phoenix VA where veterans died while waiting for care, highlighting ongoing issues. The report indicated that staff did not initiate a rapid response or call VA police, citing procedural constraints as the patient was technically outside the building. The OIG criticized this policy misalignment with VHA requirements for patient safety and emergency response. Additional issues included conflicting policies, insufficient CPR training for staff, and limited access to defibrillators. Faults were also found in the patient’s prior care, including the failure to order a cardioverter defibrillator and omission of vital signs during the medical appointment. https://lnkd.in/gC-g4KKn Unfortunately, as someone who has dealt with the Phoenix VA for nearly a decade, these problems seem to plague the VA year after year. Until there are policies that prioritize the lives of veterans, it appears the VA has learned nothing from the major failures dating back to 2014. #VeteranCare #HealthSystemReform #MedicalEmergency

Report: Phoenix VA patient died after waiting 11 minutes for emergency care. The Phoenix VA Health Care System was heavily criticized in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) report for its inadequate response to a medical emergency. A patient, who had just left a urology appointment, collapsed outside the facility. It took up to 11 minutes for the patient to receive basic care, only after the Phoenix Fire Department arrived. The patient later died at a community hospital. The OIG highlighted deficiencies in the initiation of emergency care, the quality of care before the emergency, and the completion of quality reviews. This report follows a decade after a major scandal at the Phoenix VA where veterans died while waiting for care, highlighting ongoing issues. The report indicated that staff did not initiate a rapid response or call VA police, citing procedural constraints as the patient was technically outside the building. The OIG criticized this policy misalignment with VHA requirements for patient safety and emergency response. Additional issues included conflicting policies, insufficient CPR training for staff, and limited access to defibrillators. Faults were also found in the patient’s prior care, including the failure to order a cardioverter defibrillator and omission of vital signs during the medical appointment. https://lnkd.in/gC-g4KKn Unfortunately, as someone who has dealt with the Phoenix VA for nearly a decade, these problems seem to plague the VA year after year. Until there are policies that prioritize the lives of veterans, it appears the VA has learned nothing from the major failures dating back to 2014. #VeteranCare #HealthSystemReform #MedicalEmergency

Medicare’s Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) model showed early promise by allowing ambulance care teams to be reimbursed for transporting patients to alternative sites of care or offering treatment in place via telehealth. With an estimated 𝟭𝟴 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 $𝟯𝟮 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀, emergency telehealth offerings present a 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 opportunity to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure that EMS resources remain available for true emergencies. However, ET3 ended prematurely due to low participation and fewer-than-expected interventions. Despite that, it highlighted the need for reimbursement and policy models that support more flexible, patient-centric emergency care options. Several vendors have emerged to support this new paradigm of emergency care, each with their own areas of focus and technology capabilities: • Avel eCare, RelyMD, Teladoc Health, and Tele911: Provide 24/7 access to emergency physicians who can evaluate patients virtually, guide EMS teams, and quickly determine if patients can be safely treated outside the ED. • RightSite Health: Extends beyond pure emergency telehealth triage by offering assistance with prescriptions, transportation arrangements, and social service referrals—all from the field—to facilitate a full “right place, right time” approach to care. • Pulsara: Primarily a communication and care coordination platform that streamlines patient data sharing among EMS, hospitals, and specialists. Pulsara also supports audio/video calls with the hospital, enabling real-time input that can help determine the best site of care without a default ED trip. Without better policy and payment frameworks in place, though, telehealth-focused businesses may struggle to gain long-term traction and prove their value in reshaping the emergency care landscape. We're breaking down this market in more detail and with rich (free!) profiles on each of these vendors in today's market map. Click through at the link in the comments to dig deeper. 📣 𝗪𝗲'𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: how would you feel as a provider or a patient leveraging these new tools?

Report: Phoenix VA patient died after waiting 11 minutes for emergency care. The Phoenix VA Health Care System was heavily criticized in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) report for its inadequate response to a medical emergency. A patient, who had just left a urology appointment, collapsed outside the facility. It took up to 11 minutes for the patient to receive basic care, only after the Phoenix Fire Department arrived. The patient later died at a community hospital. The OIG highlighted deficiencies in the initiation of emergency care, the quality of care before the emergency, and the completion of quality reviews. This report follows a decade after a major scandal at the Phoenix VA where veterans died while waiting for care, highlighting ongoing issues. The report indicated that staff did not initiate a rapid response or call VA police, citing procedural constraints as the patient was technically outside the building. The OIG criticized this policy misalignment with VHA requirements for patient safety and emergency response. Additional issues included conflicting policies, insufficient CPR training for staff, and limited access to defibrillators. Faults were also found in the patient’s prior care, including the failure to order a cardioverter defibrillator and omission of vital signs during the medical appointment. https://lnkd.in/gNhJbjFM Unfortunately, as someone who has dealt with the Phoenix VA for nearly a decade, these problems seem to plague the VA year after year. Until there are policies that prioritize the lives of veterans, it appears the VA has learned nothing from the major failures dating back to 2014. #VeteranCare #HealthSystemReform #MedicalEmergency

Report: Phoenix VA patient died after waiting 11 minutes for emergency care. The Phoenix VA Health Care System was heavily criticized in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) report for its inadequate response to a medical emergency. A patient, who had just left a urology appointment, collapsed outside the facility. It took up to 11 minutes for the patient to receive basic care, only after the Phoenix Fire Department arrived. The patient later died at a community hospital. The OIG highlighted deficiencies in the initiation of emergency care, the quality of care before the emergency, and the completion of quality reviews. This report follows a decade after a major scandal at the Phoenix VA where veterans died while waiting for care, highlighting ongoing issues. The report indicated that staff did not initiate a rapid response or call VA police, citing procedural constraints as the patient was technically outside the building. The OIG criticized this policy misalignment with VHA requirements for patient safety and emergency response. Additional issues included conflicting policies, insufficient CPR training for staff, and limited access to defibrillators. Faults were also found in the patient’s prior care, including the failure to order a cardioverter defibrillator and omission of vital signs during the medical appointment. https://lnkd.in/gC-g4KKn Unfortunately, as someone who has dealt with the Phoenix VA for nearly a decade, these problems seem to plague the VA year after year. Until there are policies that prioritize the lives of veterans, it appears the VA has learned nothing from the major failures dating back to 2014. #VeteranCare #HealthSystemReform #MedicalEmergency