In non-emergency situations, such as medical tourism or repatriation, travelers likely have time to prepare for medical transportation. But even with advance notice, medical travel can be stressful. Here are a few guidelines to help individuals and their families ask the right questions and gather the necessary documents and information before scheduling medical transportation.
What to Ask:
Patients or their families will likely have two sets of questions to ask: one for the patient’s health care provider and one for companies that provide medical transportation. The type of service provided by the medical transport service should match the care needs of the patient or traveler. Depending on time lines and the patient’s medical condition, transport options can include specially equipped vans, traditional ground ambulances, commercial aircraft or “air ambulances,” which are either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft.
Questions for medical providers might include:
- What method of transport would best meet the patient’s needs? What method would be sufficient?
- Does the patient or family member need to check with their insurance company to confirm coverage for medical transportation?
- When will the patient be ready to travel?
- When will the receiving medical facility be ready to accept the patient, if applicable?
- Who will be responsible for sharing patient’s medical records with the medical transportation service and the receiving medical facility?
Questions for medical transportation providers should include:
- What types of transport options do you offer?
- What types of medical background do the people transporting patients have?
- Do you provide medical escorts?
- What specific services do you provide during transport? Will you put the services the patient can expect in a contract?
- What is the estimated cost of medical transport?
What Travel Documents to Bring:
If a patient is traveling long distances, or outside the United States, he or she may need help gathering required travel documents, such as photo identification or a driver’s license, passport, visa and airplane tickets. Some medical transportation companies, such as SentinelMED, help patients and their families book air travel and manage other complicated transportation logistics.
What Information to Gather:
Even if a hospital is sending medical reports, it is wise to request and bring copies of all pertinent information. This is especially true if a patient requires long-distance medical transport, including to return to the United States. In addition, patients who are traveling overseas, such as for medical tourism, may want to have their documents translated to the language of their destination country. Patients should also bring copies of prescriptions for medications they take regularly, and pack enough medication in a carry-on bag to last the duration of the trip, plus a few additional days.
Other information to collect before travel may include:
- Emergency contact phone numbers, stored both electronically and on paper
- Lists of any dietary requirements that may need to be addressed during travel
- Cultural or native language concerns or needs of the patient and his or her family members.
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 in safety and comfort. In many cases, patients travel on commercial airlines with a SentinelMED escort who is an ICU- or emergency-medicine professional. This service is a cost-effective alternative to an air ambulance.
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.
