Hisashi Matsumoto1, Kunihiro Mashiko2, Yoshiaki Hara1, Takanori Yagi1, Kazuyuki Hayashida1, Kazuki Mashiko1, Nobuyuki Saito1, Hiroaki Iida1, Tomokazu Motomura1, Hiroshi Yasumatsu1, Daisuke Kameyama1, Atsushi Hirabayashi1, Hiroyuki Yokota3, Hirotoshi Ishikawa4, Takaji Kunimatsu5. 1. Shock and Trauma Center, Hokusoh HEMS, Nippon Medical School, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Chiba, Japan; Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. 2. Shock and Trauma Center, Hokusoh HEMS, Nippon Medical School, Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Chiba, Japan; Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan; Nonprofit Organization of Emergency Medical Network of Helicopter and Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. 3. Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. 4. Japan Safe Driving Center, Ibaraki, Japan; Nonprofit Organization of Emergency Medical Network of Helicopter and Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. 5. Nonprofit Organization of Emergency Medical Network of Helicopter and Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Advanced automatic collision notification (AACN) is a system for predicting occupant injury from collision information. If the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) physician can be alerted by AACN, it may be possible to reduce the time to patient contact. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to validate the feasibility of early HEMS dispatch via AACN. METHODS: A full-scale validation study was conducted. A car equipped with AACN was made to collide with a wall. Immediately after the collision, the HEMS was alerted directly by the operation center, which received the information from AACN. Elapsed times were recorded and compared with those inferred from the normal, real-world HEMS emergency request process. RESULTS: AACN information was sent to the operation center only 7 s after the collision; the HEMS was dispatched after 3 min. The helicopter landed at the temporary helipad 18 min later. Finally, medical intervention was started 21 min after the collision. Without AACN, it was estimated that the HEMS would be requested 14 min after the collision by fire department personnel. The start of treatment was estimated to be at 32 min, which was 11 min later than that associated with the use of AACN. CONCLUSIONS: The dispatch of the HEMS using the AACN can shorten the start time of treatment for patients in motor vehicle collisions. This study demonstrated that it is feasible to automatically alert and activate the HEMS via AACN.
BACKGROUND: Advanced automatic collision notification (AACN) is a system for predicting occupant injury from collision information. If the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) physician can be alerted by AACN, it may be possible to reduce the time to patient contact. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to validate the feasibility of early HEMS dispatch via AACN. METHODS: A full-scale validation study was conducted. A car equipped with AACN was made to collide with a wall. Immediately after the collision, the HEMS was alerted directly by the operation center, which received the information from AACN. Elapsed times were recorded and compared with those inferred from the normal, real-world HEMS emergency request process. RESULTS:AACN information was sent to the operation center only 7 s after the collision; the HEMS was dispatched after 3 min. The helicopter landed at the temporary helipad 18 min later. Finally, medical intervention was started 21 min after the collision. Without AACN, it was estimated that the HEMS would be requested 14 min after the collision by fire department personnel. The start of treatment was estimated to be at 32 min, which was 11 min later than that associated with the use of AACN. CONCLUSIONS: The dispatch of the HEMS using the AACN can shorten the start time of treatment for patients in motor vehicle collisions. This study demonstrated that it is feasible to automatically alert and activate the HEMS via AACN.