Should EMS Receive Discounted Airline Tickets?

I haven't gotten on a plane in my "adult" life. as you may have been able to tell lol
 
Statistically speaking, it is rare for there not to be a doctor, nurse, or EMS provider on a plane. Usually there are multiple unless it is a small plane.

Why would they give a discount? And would the discount mean you don't get to take an ambien or drink alcohol? And would it come with a duty to act? And you see where I am going with this...
 
As others have stated, airlines have online medical control they contract with that can be reached via radio or sat phone at any time needed. At my airline, we could hand over the EMK or FAA Medical Kit to any MD or DO, and with permission we could give it to whoever medical control says to give it to (NP, PA, Paramedic, etc).

In FA training, we spent roughly a week of our training on medical issues. It's basic first aid, splinting, basics of childbirth, CPR, use of AED. By no means any tremendous depth or detail, but enough to get by until a doc/nurse/medic onboard speaks up or the plane gets on the ground and airport medics meet the plane.

Whether or not to continue the flight or divert to closest airport is a decision made on an individual basis for each situation. Taking into account condition of patient, time enroute to destination airport, availability of services at an offline airport (airport that may perhaps be closest airport yet not an airport that the airline services). The final diversion decision is made by the captain taking into account the advice of dispatch, medical control and medical personnel onboard attending to patient.
 
Summit said:
Statistically speaking, it is rare for there not to be a doctor, nurse, or EMS provider on a plane. Usually there are multiple unless it is a small plane.
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So runinng the ATA stats, avg number of passengers on a US commercial flight is ~84. But that includes all the tiny short regional flights.

Just totally raw numbers, there are about 3150K RNs, 850K physicians, and 250K EMSers for 318M Americans... or about 1 in 75 people.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1212052#t=article

Says that a bit more than 75% of emergencies have a trained healthcare provider respond to a request for volunteers, almost 50% of the time there is a physician. About 4.4% of the time is the highest level an EMS providers. For some unexplained reason, patients have better outcomes when the highers level of treatment is a RN with respect to diversions, transports and admissions.
 
Summit said:
So runinng the ATA stats, avg number of passengers on a US commercial flight is ~84. But that includes all the tiny short regional flights.

Just totally raw numbers, there are about 3150K RNs, 850K physicians, and 250K EMSers for 318M Americans... or about 1 in 75 people.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1212052#t=article

Says that a bit more than 75% of emergencies have a trained healthcare provider respond to a request for volunteers, almost 50% of the time there is a physician. About 4.4% of the time is the highest level an EMS providers. For some unexplained reason, patients have better outcomes when the highers level of treatment is a RN with respect to diversions, transports and admissions.
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the only thing that i feel could sway statistics is the population and requirements of jobs.. I don't know many nurses that fly(commercial) for work(aside from flight nurses..), Im not a doctor so idk if they do. But i feel as if its sheer luck based. also of those 250k EMSers, much more are EMT's not medics, and for most of these situations i feel that EMT's may not be the "appropriate" provider.
 
***pulls out military ID, gets discounted SouthWest flight, bypasses security, gets a free sandwich at the USO***

Wait, they give out Ambien, Summit? :p
 
Summit said:
So runinng the ATA stats, avg number of passengers on a US commercial flight is ~84. But that includes all the tiny short regional flights.

Just totally raw numbers, there are about 3150K RNs, 850K physicians, and 250K EMSers for 318M Americans... or about 1 in 75 people.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1212052#t=article

Says that a bit more than 75% of emergencies have a trained healthcare provider respond to a request for volunteers, almost 50% of the time there is a physician. About 4.4% of the time is the highest level an EMS providers. For some unexplained reason, patients have better outcomes when the highers level of treatment is a RN with respect to diversions, transports and admissions.
Click to expand...

Of course the RN finds the article that says patients have he best outcomes with an RN in charge.... [emoji12]


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MMiz said:
In light of Carrie Fisher suffering a heart attack on a plane, I wonder if the airline industry would be served by offering an EMS discount for airline tickets.

What do you think?
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No, we don't need discounted flights.

I have a colleague who assisted during an inflight medical emergency (cardiac arrest, got rosc, post arrest brady), and rest assured, the airline was very grateful for his assistance and he received a very generous "token of appreciation" ;)
 
Household6 said:
I think there's other people who would need a discounted flight more than a medical professional.. I'd like to see Bereavement Policies expanded, I think that would be a better use of charity.
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Great point however would be quickly abused. Most people who are flying in a time of bereavement are usually doing so right after the person has died. Now please inform me what documentation you could gather on short notice to prove someone is dead? Especially before a funeral or published obituary?

A note from the doc? How do you verify the doc note? Can a doc get one together fast enough. Sure in some cases, but we have to speak towards the majority. Fact is, it would be quickly abused as there is no real way to fact check it in a timely manner. I went through this same crap when I created a family leave/emergency leave policy. I suddenly had employees with a lot of ill or dead family members...some who died twice!
 
akflightmedic said:
Great point however would be quickly abused. Most people who are flying in a time of bereavement are usually doing so right after the person has died. Now please inform me what documentation you could gather on short notice to prove someone is dead? Especially before a funeral or published obituary?

A note from the doc? How do you verify the doc note? Can a doc get one together fast enough. Sure in some cases, but we have to speak towards the majority. Fact is, it would be quickly abused as there is no real way to fact check it in a timely manner. I went through this same crap when I created a family leave/emergency leave policy. I suddenly had employees with a lot of ill or dead family members...some who died twice!
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Unfortunately that is why airlines did away with their bereavement fares. Abuse.

I agree that it would be a really, really great thing to have available to people who legitimately need it! But that requires proof, something that can be difficult and indelicate to come by. "Yes, ma'am, we know your brother died in a horrible car wreck last night in Cleveland, and you're in Thailand on your honeymoon and need to get back quickly... however we need proof of his death. We know you're incredibly upset and beside yourself and also on the other side of the planet, but we need to verify his actual death before allowing you this cheap fare to go home." Demanding proof of death comes off as cruel, yet without it abuse of the policy/perk is rampant.
 
I will drop a Delta plug though....my wife and youngest daughter were on a trip in NH when one of our dogs died. I called Delta to bring them home a day early...they got them on fastest most direct flight, waived the change fees....and then about a week later we received a Bonsai tree in the mail with a card from Delta sending their condolences.

But yes, I fly a lot which in turn means I spend a lot...LOL
 
Wonder why the airlines dont offer the bereavement fare as an ex post flight rebate with death certificate. No insensitivity at the time, lowers the ease of abuse.
 
Summit said:
Wonder why the airlines dont offer the bereavement fare as an ex post flight rebate with death certificate. No insensitivity at the time, lowers the ease of abuse.
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read my mind :eek:
 
Summit said:
Wonder why the airlines dont offer the bereavement fare as an ex post flight rebate with death certificate. No insensitivity at the time, lowers the ease of abuse.
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There are plenty of people who can't afford the initial outlay of $1000 for a ticket. Good idea though. It would have been nice for getting back to CT from Oregon when my dad died. :/
 
MMiz said:
In light of Carrie Fisher suffering a heart attack on a plane, I wonder if the airline industry would be served by offering an EMS discount for airline tickets.

What do you think?
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Yes, I really think that EMT's should receive discounts on airline tickets. In fact, they should receive discounts on food as well. Their job is so important that we should salute and honor them more.
 
savemachine said:
Yes, I really think that EMT's should receive discounts on airline tickets. In fact, they should receive discounts on food as well. Their job is so important that we should salute and honor them more.
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