When someone becomes seriously ill or injured during travel, their family often wants to get them home as quickly as possible – no matter the cost. If they don’t know about the benefits of medical transport by commercial airlines, they may assume that an air ambulance is their best – or only – option. However, when you compare medical transport by air ambulance versus commercial airlines, three major differences emerge – cost, availability, and the safety and comfort of the patient.
Here is a closer look at the benefits of medical transport on commercial airlines.
Cost. The cost of international air ambulance transport to the United States can easily top $100,000. That doesn’t include ground ambulance and other forms of transport that might be required if a traveler is in a remote location.
Transport by commercial airline is much less expensive, even if multiple seats are purchased and removed to accommodate a stretcher or if the patient travels in first or business class with a medical escort to provide care.
Availability. There are approximately 100,000 flights each day across the globe. With this availability, purchasing one or more seats on a commercial airline can be quicker than finding an air ambulance service, negotiating the cost of transport, and securing ground transportation for the patients, if needed.
Coordinating long-distance or international transport can be complex, whether by air ambulance or a commercial airline. The team at SentinelMED has decades of experience determining when a patient is stable enough to travel, coordinating transport logistics, and matching patients with medical escorts.
Safety and comfort of the patient. Transport by commercial can be more comfortable for a patient than traveling in a cramped air ambulance. In addition, the total transport time is often shorter because air ambulances need to make multiple stops to refuel and travel at a slower speed than commercial airplanes.
Traveling with a medical escort can also ensure the comfort and safety of patients during transport. SentinelMED’s medical escorts are medical professionals who have experience or training in emergency or critical care medicine. They travel with the patient throughout the transport process, from discharge at a treating medical facility to arrival at a receiving medical facility or the home of a caregiver.
How does medical transport on commercial airlines work?
Transporting a seriously injured or ill patient by commercial airline isn’t as simple as going online, booking a flight, and selecting seats. That’s because airlines have different rules for accommodating seriously ill or injured patients. For example, some international airlines will remove a row of seats and install privacy panels to allow patients to be transported by stretcher. Others have reclining seats in first class or business class that allow patients to lie down. They even have different rules about the use of medical equipment during flight.
With so many variables, it can help to work with an experienced medical transport service, not just an air ambulance provider. The SentinelMED team includes logistics and medical professionals who work together to coordinate patient care during transport. SentinelMED’s medical professionals review a patient’s medical records, speak with treating physicians, and help determine the most appropriate mode of transport.
Medical Transportation Services from SentinelMED
SentinelMED provides medical transportation, medical repatriation, and medical escort services to individuals who require medical assistance to travel long distances safely and comfortably. In many circumstances, our medical escorts travel with patients on commercial flights, an alternative that is cost-effective, quicker, and more comfortable for patients than transport by an air ambulance service.
The SentinelMED team understands the complexity of delivering exceptional care to patients who need assistance during travel. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
