A Guide to Non-Emergency Medical Transport
Access to medical care is a major challenge patients face daily. This limitation is usually because of transportation barriers to and from a hospital. An ideal solution to arrest this problem would be the use of non-emergency medical transport.
What is Non-Emergency Medical Transport?
Non-Emergency Medical Transport provides patients with less critical conditions transportation services. For example, if a loved one needs to visit the hospital for a medical examination – non-emergency transport caters for that.
While in transit, non-emergency medical transport avails patients of basic medical care such as chest compression procedures, access to ventilators, and other basic support services.
Why do Patients Need Non-Emergency Medical Transport?
Although the core aim of non-emergency medical transport is to eliminate transportation barriers, here are other reasons patients need the transport system;
Patients with physical or mental constraints are not fit to drive themselves to the hospital. This is because they risk their health and might not safely get to their destination.
Also, people with no valid driver’s license cannot transport their loved ones or themselves to the hospital, as this is unlawful.
Additionally, people with no personal vehicle are also likely to miss medical appointments. Therefore, patients can leverage non-emergency medical transport to improve access to medical care.
How Non-Emergency Medical Transport Works?
The non-emergency medical transport works seamlessly. Patients can book their transport via a website or a phone number. Moreover, the transport system is saddled with the responsibility of conveying them to and from their preferred destination. And regardless of where they are transiting to, they get access to special care on board.
Examples of Non-Emergency Medical Transport’s Role?
There are many examples of how non-emergency medical transport plays a significant role in the healthcare industry;
Ambulatory surgery, also known as outpatient surgery, is an excellent example to describe this role. Here, a patient gets discharged the same day they had surgery. Hence, there’s a need for non-emergency transport to convey them back to their home.
Another suitable example is postoperative appointments. This appointment is for patients recovering from a surgical procedure. Here, the doctor schedules an appointment covering examination of wounds, removal of staples, and other special care for the patient. Considering that the patient cannot transit themselves to and from such appointments – non-emergency medical transport comes in handy.
Different Types of Non-Emergency Medical Transport
- Ambulatory Transport – This covers transport options such as the air, rail, or road. Patients can choose from these options depending on what their immediate health and monetary needs are.
- Wheel Chair Transport Services – This type of transport provides basic support for patients who cannot walk. Also, the transport vehicle can accommodate the patient’s wheelchair. CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certified drivers operate the wheelchair on board.
- Courier Transport Services – This medical transport helps transport biological specimens, organs, and blood to a preferred destination for medical procedures.
Conclusion
Non-emergency medical transport is a vital service that is critical to tackling transportation issues faced by patients. Patients with no life-threatening conditions can use the services to transit themselves to and from the hospital; both safely and conveniently.
