If you or someone close to you were to have an accident or a medical emergency, it’s nice to know that emergency medical devices are just a phone call away. But healthcare and transportation are inextricably linked. Above and beyond a fast van with EMS tools and personnel, non-emergency medical centers have to move patients around, as do hospitals, and individuals with specific medical needs also need transport.
Non-emergency medical transport is key to the health and wellbeing of those who require assistance getting to their medical appointments and back home again. Many people ask why someone might need non-emergency medical transport. While we understand why someone might ask this question, there are many good reasons to choose non-emergency medical transport. These reasons include, but are not limited to;
The client is medically stable, yet is still in need of medical support
The most straightforward reason to access non-emergency medical transport is simply that you need to. A patient may require constant medical supervision from a nurse or a paramedic, but the services of an emergency medical technician are not needed. Non-emergency medical transport can be used to transport bags of intravenous fluid, gurneys, colostomy bags, stair chairs, suction units, resuscitation and airway management equipment, and many other forms of medical tools and materials.
The client’s medical status does not qualify him or her for emergency Medical Services transportation
While every illness and injury will seem like an emergency at the time, not all reasons to visit the hospital are life-threatening. A broken collarbone, for example, is very painful and does require medical attention. But such an injury is rarely life-threatening. Rather than consume the time and resources of emergency medical transport, using non-emergency medical transport is more practical and responsible.
The client’s transport needs are minimally sensitive to time
As in the above example, not all medical transport needs are emergency transport needs. Booking non-emergency medical transport for a medical appointment well in advance is a great way to utilize this type of transport service.
The client does not need to be accompanied by a paramedic or EMT
While patients who use non-emergency medical transport often do need medical supervision during transport, the presence of emergency personnel is not always needed. In these cases, a nurse or other form of medical practitioner can be available to accompany the rider in a non-emergency transport situation.
