STUDY OBJECTIVE: Helicopter emergency medical services (EMS) has become a well-established component of modern @entity130 systems. It is an expensive, limited resource with potential safety concerns. Helicopter EMS activation criteria intended to increase efficiency and reduce inappropriate use remain elusive and difficult to measure. This study evaluates the effect of statewide field @entity130 triage changes on helicopter EMS use and @entity1 outcomes. METHODS: Data were extracted from the helicopter EMS computer-aided dispatch database for in-state scene flights and from the state @entity130 Registry for all @entity130 @entity1 directly admitted from the scene or transferred to @entity130 centers from July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2011. Computer-aided dispatch flights were analyzed for periods corresponding to field triage protocol modifications intended to improve system efficiency. Outcomes were separately analyzed for @entity130 registry @entity1 by mode of transport. RESULTS: The helicopter EMS computer-aided dispatch data set included 44,073 transports. There was a statewide decrease in helicopter EMS usage for @entity130 @entity1 of 55.9%, differentially affecting counties closer to @entity130 centers. The @entity130 Registry data set included 182,809 @entity1 (37,407 helicopter transports, 128,129 ambulance transports, and 17,273 transfers). There was an increase of 21% in overall annual EMS scene @entity130 @entity1 transported; ground transports increased by 33%, whereas helicopter EMS transports decreased by 49%. Helicopter EMS @entity1 acuity increased, with an attendant increase in @entity1 mortality. However, when standardized with W statistics, both helicopter EMS- and ground-transported @entity130 @entity1 showed sustained improvement in mortality. CONCLUSION: Modifications to state protocols were associated with decreased helicopter EMS use and overall improved @entity130 @entity1 outcomes.

Maryland's Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Experience From 2001 to 2011: System Improvements and XXXX ' Outcomes.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity130 :: ('MESH:D014947', 'Disease') :: ['trauma', 'Trauma']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['Patients']
