WATCH ABOVE: When MedeVac operations moved to the international airport, there was concern that it could impact patient care. As Vinesh Pratap reports, today we found out if that was warranted.
EDMONTON – The Health Quality Council of Alberta has released a review that shows the March 2013 closure of the Edmonton City Centre Airport has not caused patient safety or quality issues. (See the full report below.)
Because of the closure, medevac services were moved to the Edmonton International Airport, located about 15 kilometres south of the city.
The council looked at 232 patient charts of critically-ill and time sensitive air ambulance patients who were transported from EIA to acute care hospitals in Edmonton.
READ MORE: Northern Alberta politicians tour new medevac service at Edmonton International Airport
“We did not see any evidence of patient safety or care issues that could be associated directly with the relocation of medevac services to the Edmonton International Airport from the Edmonton City Centre Airport,” explained Dr. John Tallon.
Dr. Tallon – who led the review – added that transfer time from the international airport to the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital made up only 15 per cent of the overall travel time for a patient.
Prior to the closure of the City Centre Airport, the council and doctors from Edmonton and northern Alberta had voiced concern that it could heighten the risk for medevac patients.
Shortly before the air ambulance base opened at EIA, 36 northern Alberta doctors issued an open letter, warning there would be “fatal consequences” if the province proceeded with plans to reroute medevac flights to the international airport.
The HQCA has made several recommendations to improve medevac service:
- Expedite the decision to transport patients
- Improve patient care documentation and its availability
- Improve Monitoring and reporting on quality
- Enhance the level of care provided through the implementation of critical care teams for fixed-wing medevac and optimization of air ambulance resources in the province
READ MORE: Alberta Health says air ambulance service change in Edmonton won’t hurt patient care
Medevac services have improved because Alberta Health Services has implemented 15 of 18 recommendations from a 2011 report, the HQCA stated.
READ BELOW: Health Quality Council of Alberta Medevac Report
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