Ambulance Emergency Medical Services Professionals’ Perspectives on Collaboration With Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Physicians

Abstract

Objective: Collaboration between ambulance emergency medical service (EMS) professionals and helicopter EMS (HEMS) physicians has not been extensively highlighted in the literature. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the perspectives of ambulance EMS professionals on their collaboration with the physician-staffed HEMS unit in Finland. Methods: This survey study was conducted in Finland's first rural physician-staffed HEMS unit's, FinnHEMS40 (FH40), operating area in the autumn of 2023 and repeated after a year. A digital survey link was sent through e-mail to all EMS professionals working in ambulance units. The surveys consisted of 5-point Likert-scale questions, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended questions. Likert-scale answers were analyzed with contingency tables and the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. Results: Response rates were 210 of 522 (40%) for the first survey and 200 of 518 (39%) for the second survey. Most of all respondents (90%) felt that collaboration with FH40 has been good or excellent. The opinions on the importance of a HEMS physician's attendance on EMS missions depended on their educational background and previous work experience in EMS. Results indicated that EMS professionals with 2 to 5 years of work experience seemed to feel more confident in managing various EMS missions independently without assistance from a HEMS physician. Conclusion: Collaboration between HEMS physicians and ambulance units is appreciated and deemed important among EMS professionals working in ambulances. Educational background and work experience influence opinions on the necessity of HEMS physicians’ attendance in EMS missions.