Air medical journal
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Air medical journal · Aug 1993
Comparative StudyTrue costs of air medical vs. ground ambulance systems.
The economic model created in this paper replaces the existing University of Massachusetts Medical Center's New England Life Flight (NELF) helicopter ambulance service with a ground ambulance system to investigate comparative costs. The model is based on a less than 30-minute response time to the patient, similar medical team staffing and equal service area. ⋯ The comparison finds that the commonly held notion that condemns helicopters as an excessively expensive technology for patient transport is incorrect. Future research to address intermediate alternatives using similar analytical technology assessment techniques is recommended.