The Air Force Air Mobility Command www.amc.af.mil Surgeon General’s (AMC/SG) office is responsible for clinical oversight of the Air Force’s Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) System. This office is working with researchers at the 711th Human Resource Wing at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/711HPW, to keep “en route” care up-to-date.
Col. Susan Dukes, En Route Care Research Division Chief for the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/711hpw/usafsam.asp at Wright Patterson reports, “We now have research programs specific to “en route” care. Researchers are studying the stresses of flight and the various impacts of transport, such as hypoxia and vibration, dealing with pain control, the use of anesthesia for AE patients, and understanding the relationship between the time of the injury and when and how best to transport.”
The AMC/SG’s office wants to connect ground medical capabilities to the Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) capability. Currently, there are EHRs used on the ground but not in the air so it is difficult for AE crews to communicate with ground sources.
Other plans are underway. The command wants to create clinical training centers for excellence to include simulation training. Also, the research lab is looking at using virtual environments along with gaming and personalized training in their training centers.
In another move, Col. James Speight, Chief of AE Clinical Training for AMC/SG reports, “There is an initiative to incorporate training and networking across services because the “en route” care system requires all of the services to provide standardized integrated training and preparation to ensure the safety of our patients.”