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READ THE LABEL BEFORE YOU BUY!

Posted on Jan 25, 2010 by MMT   |  

Over the last 2-3 years, there has been an influx of services on the internet who claim to provide long distance non-emergency medical transportation. Although this is a specialized field, there are few barriers to entry. This allows anyone to buy a camper or other vehicle and paint their name on the side claiming to transport patients.

We could probably make a decent living by just responding to the families who have called us after one of these services either didn’t show, cancelled at the last moment or broke down along the way. These companies do a great disservice to not only the general public, but to those of us out here who are reputable and who are meeting, exceeding and in many cases establishing higher standards every day.

Regardless of you choose to provide transport, you should ask the following questions:

1. How long have you been in business?

2. How long have you been providing “long distance patient transportation?”
Providing taxi service for 10 years is very different from providing long distance patient transport to sick and injured people.

3. Is the vehicle on your website, actually part of your fleet and can I expect to be transported in one just like it?
Often, if you look closely, you will see fine print on some of these sites that say- “vehicle in this picture is a manufacturer’s stock photo and not the actual vehicle you will be transported in.”

4. What is the level of training of the drivers? What kind of background and training do they need to have before they are eligible to be hired by your company? Although actual medical intervention is limited in non-emergency vehicles since they are usually not equipped for emergencies, you still want to make sure that the people who will be administering oxygen, changing diapers, emptying catheters and assisting with feeding, have a medical background in patient care.

5. Do you have commercial liability insurance? **very important
You wouldn’t believe how many “transport companies” are operating out of their homes and using their personal insurance policies. Commercial liability insurance is among our highest operating expenses. Make sure the company that you are considering doesn’t fall short.

6. How are patients actually transported? If a company tells you that they use a “bed in a camper”, ask them how they safely secure the patient, how they safely transfer them in and out of the vehicle, and how they meet infection control standards in between patients if they use a standard bed mattress in a camper? (Ambulance stretchers are designed to be mobile and easily cleaned and disinfected.)

Standard ambulance stretchers or Gurneys are designed for SAFE patient transport and travel. They accommodate various weights, adjust to various levels, and are designed to safely and securely lock in place within a vehicle. Reputable services have industry approved stretchers in their vehicles to insure safe and ease of transport and transfer.

7. What happens if the crew has a mechanical problem in transit? What’s the protocol for this?

Services that have been in business for any length of time realize that even with a brand new fleet of vehicles, sometimes incidents like flat tires or mechanical problems occur. When they do, how do they respond? Do they have more than one vehicle?

Companies should have a mutual aid agreement with various services in their operating area, a roadside service agreement for quick repairs like flat tires, belts, batteries, etc… and other vehicles in their fleet that can respond to finish the transport if necessary. With non-emergency transport, you are hiring transportation for a patient who is stable and not in need of ongoing emergency intervention. Comfort and safety should be the main concerns. The service that you hire should be reputable, have an exemplary safety record and plenty of verifiable references and testimonials. For those of us who have spent years building our reputations, we are more than happy to answer your questions and provide proof of our credentials.

Tagged: medical transport, non emergency transport, medical transportation, stretcher transportation, patient transport, long distance ambulance, transportation medical