What’s the difference between an air ambulance and medical escort

We understand that this is a difficult time for you, and navigating the complexities of medical transport, especially when you've never had to deal with this industry before, can be overwhelming. You might hear various terms thrown around – 'Air Ambulance,' 'Medical Escort,' 'Medevac' – and these might be entirely new to you. At EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd., we want to demystify these terms and clearly explain what each entails, so you can make informed decisions during a challenging period.

Blog Summary: Understanding Your Medical Transport Options

Understanding the Key Terms in Medical Repatriation

When a medical emergency arises abroad, bringing a loved one home safely for continued care becomes the top priority. EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd. specializes in exactly this kind of service. We offer a range of solutions tailored to the patient's condition and needs. Let's break down the common terminology you might encounter:

1. Air Ambulance: Your Flying Intensive Care Unit

An Air Ambulance is an airplane that has been specially adapted to enable medical support for patients while in transit. These specialized aircraft are used when traditional ground transportation is impractical, too slow, or poses risks to the patient’s health. EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd. operates fixed-wing Air Ambulances that are essentially mobile Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

Key Characteristics and When It's Used:

• State-of-the-Art Medical Equipment: Our Air Ambulances are equipped with cutting-edge medical technology, including ICU facilities, ventilators, cardiac monitors, portable ultrasound devices, and defibrillators. This ensures that critical interventions can be performed en route, offering patients seamless care from departure to arrival. Specific equipment includes the Lifeport or Spectrum Intensive Care Base Units with patient loading systems, central oxygen tanks, vacuum generators, compressed air systems, and electrical outlets. We also carry the Zoll X Series Multi-Parameter Transport Monitor, Hamilton T1 ventilator, and ABBOTT i-STAT Portable Blood Analyzer for continuous intensive monitoring and treatment. For vulnerable patients like newborns or those with respiratory problems, specialized equipment such as the Draeger 5400 transport incubator and PENTAX Bronchoscope are available.
• Highly Trained Medical Staff: Air Ambulances are staffed with highly skilled medical professionals specialized in critical care, including doctors, specialized nurses, and other healthcare professionals with experience in emergency and intensive care. They are accustomed to handling the unique challenges of medical transport by Air Ambulance. There are always two pilots and a specialist medical crew on board for every flight.
• Rapid Deployment: Our global network allows us to swiftly dispatch an Air Ambulance within a short timeframe. We prioritize emergency cases for immediate response and assistance. Many missions can be mobilized within hours.
• International and Long-Distance Transport: This service caters to international repatriation needs, ensuring safe and efficient transportation across borders for patients with critical medical conditions for whom traditional commercial flights are medically unsuitable. It's suitable for both long and short distances.
• Bed-to-Bed Service: With an Air Ambulance, EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd. provides a comprehensive bed-to-bed service, managing all aspects from initial pickup to handover at the destination hospital. This includes coordinating with hospitals , managing medical records and translations , arranging ground transport , and ensuring a hospital bed is ready upon arrival.

2. Medical Escort: Medically Supervised Commercial Travel

Medical Escort means the patient will be transported on a scheduled commercial flight. This approach is used when the person's medical condition allows for non-emergency travel but still requires medical supervision. It is a safe and cost-effective method.

Key Characteristics and When It's Used:

• Commercial Flight Integration: The patient travels on a regular commercial flight. Depending on the patient's needs and situation, it can be in first class, business class, or with a stretcher in economy class.
• Comprehensive Medical Care: Our Medical Escort services on commercial flights offer comprehensive medical care, including continuous monitoring, necessary medical interventions, and support tailored to the patient's needs throughout the journey. Medical professionals will accompany the patient to provide the best care en route.
• Cost-Effective Option: Medical Escort services provide the opportunity for patients to travel on commercial flights with the assurance of specialized medical care throughout the journey, offering a cost-effective option while maintaining high-quality medical support.
• Patient Assessment: Our Medical Escort services cater to various medical conditions, ensuring patients with diverse needs can access this mode of transport. Our medical team assesses each case individually to provide appropriate care during the flight, checking if Medical Escort is the right option for the patient.
• Domestic and International Availability: Yes, our Medical Escort services are available for both domestic and international flights. Our team ensures seamless coordination and support for patients requiring medical transport across borders.

The Difference: Medical Escort with vs. without Stretcher

The main distinction here is the patient's ability to sit upright during the flight and the level of medical support required in a recumbent position.

• Medical Escort (without stretcher): This is for patients who can sit comfortably in a standard or reclined seat but still require medical oversight, assistance with medication, or monitoring of their condition. They typically travel in Business or First Class for enhanced comfort and space. Small, foldable wheelchairs are normally no problem but have to be registered beforehand.
• Medical Escort (with stretcher): This option is for patients who must lie down for the duration of the flight. An aircraft can be fitted with a stretcher by removing seats. This requires coordination with the airline and extra preparation. The medical team can provide full care and monitoring to the patient in a supine position throughout the journey. Larger electronic or battery-powered wheelchairs can, in most cases, only be transported on board large ambulance planes due to their size.

Real-Life Example: Michael Darson's mother, who had COPD and was oxygen-dependent in a hospital in Paphos, Cyprus, was repatriated via a Medical Escort from EMS. A highly trained Medic, one of their team, made his way to Cyprus within a couple of hours. He spent almost a full day with her and had numerous meetings with the medical team in Paphos, before escorting her home on a regular flight. She was on oxygen at all times during the repatriation, felt very safe and very well looked after for the whole journey home. Michael praised EMS for organizing all flights, medical transfers, etc., stating, "The service they provided was literally from the hospital bed in Paphos to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, our home city. It was not cheap and my mother did not have medical insurance; however it was half the price the British Embassy had told us to expect! Many thanks to EMS; highly recommended.".

3. Private Jet Transport: Tailored Luxury with Medical Care

Repatriation via Private Jet involves using a privat aircraft for the purpose of bringing individuals back to the right place. Private jets offer flexibility in terms of scheduling and amenities. This mode is often chosen for its convenience, comfort, peacefulness, luxury, and the ability to accommodate specific travel requirements.

Key Characteristics and When It's Used:

• Customization and Comfort: Our Private Jet services are tailored to accommodate the patient's medical requirements, preferences, and the number of accompanying passengers. We ensure a comfortable and safe journey while meeting specific medical needs.
• Personalized Travel: Private Jets offer the advantage of personalized, luxurious travel coupled with top-notch medical care. Patients can travel in comfort, surrounded by a dedicated medical team and necessary equipment, ensuring a seamless journey.
• Passenger Capacity: Our Private Jet services can accommodate multiple passengers, including the patient and accompanying family members or medical staff. We ensure adequate space and comfort for all individuals during the journey.
• Global Reach: With our extensive network and access to various airports globally, our private jet services can facilitate transport to almost any destination worldwide, ensuring comprehensive coverage for medical repatriation or transfers.
• High Level of Medical Care: Our Private Jet services offer a high level of medical care, with a dedicated medical team on board equipped with specialized equipment tailored to the patient's needs. The team ensures continuous medical support throughout the journey.

The Difference: Air Ambulance vs. Private Jet Transport

While both involve private aircraft and can provide medical support, their primary design and purpose differ.

• Primary Function: An Air Ambulance is fundamentally a medical transport vehicle, built and configured from the ground up as a flying ICU, prioritizing critical care capabilities. A
   Private Jet, on the other hand, is primarily a luxury transport vehicle that can be adapted to include medical capabilities, offering flexibility and comfort.
• Medical Specialization: Air Ambulances are intrinsically designed for urgent and complex medical cases, featuring comprehensive, fixed medical installations. Private Jets can be equipped for medical transport, but the level of inherent, built-in critical care infrastructure may be less extensive unless specifically modified for a high-acuity patient.
• Deployment & Urgency: Air Ambulances are geared for rapid deployment in critical, time-sensitive medical emergencies. Private Jets offer scheduling flexibility and speed but are not always configured for immediate, high-acuity medical emergencies like a dedicated Air Ambulance. While we prioritize swift arrangements, it's advisable to contact us at the earliest convenience to facilitate seamless planning and ensure all necessary accommodations are met for the patient's transport.

4. Medevac: A Broader Term for Medical Evacuation

"Medevac" is short for a medical air evacuation, and refers to the evacuation by aircraft of (a) person(s) to a place where they can receive the right medical care. It is commonly employed when traditional commercial flights are medically unsuitable due to the patient's condition, and swift transportation is essential. It's a broad term for emergency medical evacuation, often using air ambulances. EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd. specializes in international medevac operations, offering critical care in the air and seamless coordination from bedside to bedside.

Key Aspects of Medevac:

• Emergency Transportation: Medevac services are essential in situations such as serious illness or injury while abroad, accidents in remote areas without access to specialized care, medical emergencies during cruises or expeditions, or repatriation of patients to their home country for further treatment.
• Aircraft Type: EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd. conducts medevac missions with fixed-wing aircraft, which are staffed by experienced medical teams and outfitted with ICU-level equipment.
• Global Reach: Yes, EMS operates globally and can arrange flights from nearly any country, provided it's medically and logistically possible.
• Comprehensive Process: The medevac process includes initial contact and medical evaluation , flight planning and logistics , bed-to-bed care (where the patient is monitored and cared for continuously—from the sending hospital or location, during flight, to arrival at the receiving facility) , and multilingual support and documentation (handling international logistics, language barriers, customs, and medical documentation), ensuring continuous monitoring and care.

Real-Life Example: Greg Dahl sought a medical evacuation specialist to bring his daughter back home. "Her issues were complicated and I know it was essential to have medical care before during and upon arrival and EMS delivered what they promised and more. Extremely professional, highly trained and knowledgeable, their reports and handling of the hospitals and airport representatives was executed perfectly. This company is the one to call when you're faced with a medical crisis needing relocation home.".

Why Choose EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd.?

At EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd., our commitment is to provide fast, safe, and medically equipped air ambulance services across international borders. We prioritize patient safety by adhering to stringent safety protocols, employing highly trained medical staff, and using advanced medical equipment. Our team is available 24/7, ensuring that you receive prompt and professional support when you need it most.

We are proud to be TUV ISO 9001 Certified , an internationally recognized standard for quality and safety, demonstrating our commitment to continuous improvement and the highest standards of care. Our team comprises over 50 medical professionals, experts in international medical transport, having safely transported hundreds of patients home from over 136 countries.

Request Your Free, Non-Binding Quote

Understanding the costs involved in medical repatriation can be a concern. At EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd., we do not publish fixed prices because every medical flight is unique. Factors influencing the cost include the distance and location , the patient's medical condition , the type of aircraft needed , availability and timing (emergency requests, night-time missions, or difficult-to-access locations may incur additional charges) , and necessary ground transportation and coordination.

Instead, we offer a free, non-binding quote. Within 30 minutes of your request, a medical coordinator will assess your case and provide a detailed, personalized offer based on your specific needs. Our quotes are fixed prices with no surprises and cover the entire repatriation process, including (if applicable) airport transfers, ferry crossing, toll fees, food, drinks, medicine, and care. We always aim to reply to a request within an hour.

Don't hesitate to reach out for clarity, professionalism, and rapid support during a medical crisis.

Contact EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation Ltd. 24/7: +971 4 258 8791