Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services play a crucial, yet often overlooked, role in healthcare. These agencies are essential in providing patients the care they need when it’s not a matter of life and death, but still a matter of health and well-being. They act as a type of healthcare travel agency, providing services to those who need support when traveling.
The list of people who use NEMT services includes seniors, those injured while traveling, the chronically ill, and those discharged from a hospital who need transportation to their home or another medical facility (such as a center of healthcare excellence).
NEMT services are designed to ensure that those who need to travel can do so despite limitations caused by injuries or illness. They can act as a healthcare travel agency, making travel possible for those who otherwise might not be able to travel.
When it comes to long-distance medical transport, potential clients frequently inquire about the specifics of the service provided. The information below is based on the operations at Flying Angels, a leader in the NEMT industry.
What is NEMT?
Non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) includes a seasoned flight nurse who travels with elderly patients or those with health conditions on commercial flights, assisting those who are unable to travel independently. Unlike the more expensive air ambulance, NEMT utilizes commercial airlines to transport patients globally.
Who uses NEMT services?
NEMT services are ideal for individuals who require assistance during travel, including elderly individuals, travelers with disabilities, patients recovering from surgery, and those suffering from significant injuries. A flight nurse is responsible for managing all of the patient’s needs, from oxygen to ventilators, throughout the airport and during flight.
What kind of planes are used?
Flying Angels primarily arranges travel for its clients on standard commercial aircraft, though they do utilize chartered/private aircraft when necessary. This method is significantly more cost-effective for long-distance medical transport compared to the use of air ambulances.
How quickly can you depart?
Although NEMT is not an emergency service, it is generally possible to secure flight bookings for patients within 24 to 48 hours. Contacting the service promptly allows for better planning and access to optimal flight schedules.
NEMT and long-distance medical transport services offer patients a way to travel comfortably with the assurance that their medical needs are professionally managed at a cost that is far more affordable than alternative methods.
The Advantages of Using NEMT Services
Hiring a NEMT company offers several benefits for individuals who require assistance while traveling on commercial flights. They include the following.
Professional medical assistance. One of the primary benefits of a NEMT service is the presence of a flight nurse who travels with the patient throughout their entire journey. These nurses are experienced in handling various medical situations and have been trained in providing medical care at high altitudes. They manage medications, respond to medical needs, and ensure the patient remains stable and comfortable.
Coordination and logistics. NEMT companies handle all logistics involved in arranging travel, which can be particularly complex when medical conditions require special accommodations. This includes booking flights, arranging for appropriate seats on the plane, and coordinating with airports and airlines to meet the specific needs of the patient, such as wheelchair access or boarding assistance.
Transport of medical equipment. Traveling with medical equipment can be challenging due to airline regulations and the need for careful handling. NEMT companies are experienced in managing these complexities, ensuring that all necessary medical equipment, like oxygen tanks or ventilators, are transported safely and in accordance with aviation regulations.
Safety and comfort. For patients traveling with medical conditions or post-surgery, travel can be stressful and potentially hazardous. NEMT services provide a safe and controlled environment, significantly reducing the stress associated with travel. The comfort and well-being of the patient are prioritized, with adjustments made as needed to accommodate health requirements.
Streamlined travel experience. By managing all aspects of the travel process, from medical care to logistics, NEMT companies offer a streamlined and efficient travel experience. This is especially beneficial for patients and their families, as it minimizes the typical hassles and uncertainties associated with traveling with health issues.
Peace of mind. Perhaps one of the most significant benefits for both the patient and their family is the peace of mind that comes from knowing a professional is overseeing and managing all aspects of the journey. This reassurance allows patients and families to focus more on recovery and less on the complexities of travel.
Overall, NEMT services, such as those provided by Flying Angels, enhance accessibility and provide essential support, ensuring that travel is not only possible but safe and comfortable for those with medical needs.
A Center of Excellence (CoE) in healthcare is a specialized program within a hospital or medical institution that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and researching specific medical conditions. These centers earn their status through stringent evaluations that measure patient outcomes, staff expertise, and research contributions. Their primary goal is to set exceptionally high standards in medical care and innovation.
In the modern healthcare system, patients discharged from hospitals may be taken to a CoE for continued treatment. The ability to efficiently transfer patients is an important part of their care plan. Medical providers and patients increasingly turn to non-emergency medical transport companies, such as Flying Angels, for hospital discharge transportation that involves professional care and use of the latest equipment.
The Importance of Centers of Excellence in Healthcare
A Center of Excellence in Healthcare concentrates on superior patient care by pooling specialized resources and expertise. This focus allows them to offer advanced treatment options, including access to pioneering clinical trials. CoEs usually adopt a holistic approach to patient care, integrating various supportive services to enhance treatment effectiveness and patient satisfaction.
Typical areas that CoEs focus on include cancer care, heart care, neurology, and orthopedics. These centers are pivotal in driving medical advancements and education. They contribute significantly to medical research, often participating in or leading clinical trials that push the boundaries of current medical knowledge.
CoEs also promote continuous education and training of their staff, ensuring that medical professionals are updated with the latest developments and techniques in their fields. This emphasis on innovation and knowledge fosters a culture of excellence that influences healthcare practices worldwide.
Importance of Patient Transportation to CoEs
The importance of transportation from hospitals to Centers of Excellence (CoEs) is pivotal for several reasons. First and foremost, safe transportation allows patients access to specialized care that is particularly crucial for complex or rare conditions.
Efficient and safe transportation ensures there is a seamless transition from general hospitals to specialized centers. This continuity is critical for maintaining treatment schedules without delays, especially for conditions that require timely intervention.
Transporting patients to these centers expands their options for treatment, including participation in cutting-edge clinical trials. This not only potentially provides access to the newest therapeutic options, but also contributes to broader medical research efforts.
All this makes reliable and efficient transportation from hospitals to CoEs essential.
Flying Angels and Hospital Discharge Transportation
Transportation after a hospital stay is one of the many NEMT services provided by Flying Angels. As the company name implies, Flying Angels book travel arrangements and sends flight nurses to travel with patients on commercial flights.
Flying Angels provides ground transportation services. These include the use of the company’s customized reclining wheelchairs and professional car services. Our experienced nurses travel with the patients every moment of their transportation journey. Flying Angels coordinates the hospital discharge transportation for transferring patients from their home/facility to their final destination.
By using the service, patients and their families have peace of mind in working with medical professionals with the experience to safely manage hospital discharge transportation to a CoE or wherever they need to go.
Non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) companies provide a critical service that combines medical care with travel assistance. This unique blend is especially beneficial for patients needing safe, reliable, and cost-effective patient transfers between medical facilities.
Unlike air ambulances, NEMT services offer a less expensive solution for non-emergency situations, providing comprehensive care and support without the high costs associated with more acute medical transport services.
NEMT Provides Comprehensive Travel and Medical Assistance
NEMT services are designed to cater to patients who cannot travel independently due to medical conditions, disabilities, or post-operative recovery needs. These companies facilitate patient transfers by managing all aspects of travel arrangements and medical support.
These services include booking flights, managing ground transportation, and coordinating with medical facilities to ensure a seamless transfer process. International transport also includes ensuring proper documentation (driver’s license, passport, and possibly a travel visa) is in order. Such thorough planning is crucial for patients transitioning between care settings, ensuring they maintain continuity of care without the stress and complexities typically associated with travel.
The presence of a flight nurse or a medical professional during the journey is a standout feature of NEMT services. These healthcare professionals are equipped to manage medications, operate medical equipment, and provide ongoing care throughout the journey. Whether it’s monitoring vital signs or administering treatments, having skilled medical personnel on hand provides patients and their families with peace of mind, knowing that health and safety are prioritized.
NEMT and Handling Logistical Challenges
One of the primary challenges in medical transport is managing the logistics of traveling with medical equipment and ensuring all patient needs are met during the trip. NEMT companies specialize in this aspect, adeptly managing requirements such as oxygen tanks, ventilators, and other critical medical apparatus.
They consult with airlines and airports to secure necessary clearances and make special arrangements to accommodate the unique needs of each patient, such as priority boarding or special seating arrangements.
For shorter trips, NEMT providers often use ground transportation equipped with necessary medical modifications. This could include vehicles that are outfitted to transport patients safely who require stretchers or wheelchairs, ensuring that the transfer is not only safe but also comfortable.
NEMT and Cost-Effective Patient Transfers
A significant advantage of using NEMT services over options like air ambulances is the cost-effectiveness. Air ambulances are typically reserved for high-acuity patients who need urgent care mid-flight, which comes at a premium cost. In contrast, NEMT provides a financially accessible alternative for those needing medical oversight, but not immediate emergency intervention.
By using commercial flights and customized ground transportation, NEMT services reduce costs while still maintaining high standards of medical care. This makes medical transport accessible to a broader range of patients, particularly those who are managing chronic conditions or recovering from procedures and need regular follow-up care at different facilities.
For patients requiring non-emergency medical transport, NEMT services offer a vital link between cost-effectiveness and high-quality medical care. They remove the barriers to accessing necessary medical treatments due to transportation issues and ensure that patients can travel safely between home and medical facilities, or between different healthcare providers.
NEMT companies such as Flying Angels not only support patient health and safety but also provide a stress-free travel experience for both patients and their families. By choosing NEMT, patients are afforded a reliable, professional, and cost-effective solution that addresses the logistical and medical complexities of travel, ensuring continuity of care and patient satisfaction in every journey.
Transitioning from hospital to home care can be especially challenging, particularly for critically ill patients requiring a higher level of care. Ensuring a smooth transition is essential for these patients’ recovery. One valuable resource, throughout the transportation process, is non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) services.
NEMT companies that specializing in critical care travel offer patients and their reassurance, knowing they are in the care of highly skilled medical professionals. This includes critical care transport nurses and coordinators who oversee patients’ care and manage all travel arrangements.
As a NEMT company, Flying Angels specializes in making travel arrangements and providing flight nurses to accompany patients flying on commercial airlines. They also coordinate ground transportation services, ensuring patients who have received critical care can safely return home from the hospital.
Critical Care Transport Issues Addressed by NEMT
NEMT services are increasingly part of hospital discharge plans, ensuring that patients safely transition from hospital to home. This is available to all patients, including those treated in critical care units.
NEMT plays a vital role in bridging the gap between hospital and home care. It ensures patients return home safely to continue their recovery and potentially avoid complications leading to readmission. Some of the issues NEMT services address include:
Accessibility. Patients may lack reliable transportation, post-hospitalization, especially if they are recovering from surgery, or have mobility limitations. NEMT offers a safe and comfortable way for them to get home, eliminating reliance on potentially unavailable or overburdened family or friends.
Professional care. NEMT companies such as Flying Angels provide experienced flight nurses who accompany patients during both air and ground transportation. Additionally, Flying Angels provides necessary medical equipment like customized reclining wheelchairs.
Continuity of Care. The timely transition from hospital to home care is key. NEMT ensures patients arrive home in a timely manner to begin their at-home recovery plans involving medication, therapy, and/or wound care. Delays can disrupt this plan and lead to complications, highlighting the importance of NEMT in ensuring patients arrive home promptly.
Improved Recovery. Returning to familiar surroundings can significantly aid in the recovery process. NEMT facilitates earlier returns home, allowing patients to rest and heal in a familiar and comfortable environment.
NEMT Companies Equipped to Handle Critical Care Transport
NEMT services specialize in providing transportation solutions for individuals with medical needs outside emergency situations. For critically ill patients transitioning from the hospital to home care, NEMT services offer a lifeline, bridging the gap between the two.
NEMT providers can offer specialized vehicles equipped to accommodate diverse medical needs. The reclining wheelchair used by Flying Angels, for example, allows nurses to transfer patients from bedside to chair and into a wheelchair van. If the trip home requires a flight, patients remain in the wheelchair until they arrive at the aircraft, where they are then transferred into a first-class seat, using custom transfer slings.
NEMT critical care transport nurses are trained in basic life support, medical equipment operation, and patient transfer protocols to ensure patient safety and comfort during transit. Continuous monitoring helps maintain the patients’ stability and minimizes complications, ensuring a smooth transition from hospital to home.
NEMT Coordination with Medical Providers
By working closely with hospitals, healthcare providers, and home care agencies to coordinate transportation schedules, NEMT companies ensure timely pickups and drop-offs. This streamlines the transition process, reducing delays and ensuring continuity of care for patients.
As an experienced NEMT company, Flying Angels prioritizes patient comfort and dignity, offering personalized transportation solutions tailored to patients’ specific needs. Whether assisting with mobility or accommodating medical equipment, NEMT providers strive to make the transportation experience as comfortable and stress-free as possible.
Navigating the transition from hospital to home represents a critical phase in the journey of critically ill patients. NEMT services are indispensable in this transition, providing specialized transportation solutions that support continuity of care, improve patient outcomes, and enhance the overall healthcare experience for patients and their families.
In modern healthcare, the focus is increasingly shifting towards holistic patient care that extends beyond hospital walls. One critical aspect is hospital discharge planning. This phase is pivotal in ensuring patients transition smoothly back to their homes or care facilities, minimizing the risk of readmissions and improving overall health outcomes.
One vital player in this process is non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) providers. Collaborating with NEMT services significantly enhances post-discharge outcomes, ensuring patients receive the care and support they need beyond hospitalization.
The Importance of Post-Discharge Care
Patients who have undergone medical procedures or are recovering from illnesses may not be fit to drive themselves home. Experienced NEMT providers offer hospital discharge planning services that involve trained professionals, including experienced nurses, who are familiar with handling patients requiring special assistance or medical monitoring during transportation, ensuring their safety throughout the journey.
It’s an important issue because patients often face various challenges upon discharge, including transportation barriers. These challenges can lead to medication non-adherence and ultimately, hospital readmissions. Nearly 20% of Medicare patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge, costing billions annually, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Effective post-discharge care is essential not only for improving patient well-being but also for reducing healthcare costs and alleviating the burden on healthcare systems.
The Role of NEMT Providers in Hospital Discharging Plan
NEMT providers play a crucial role in addressing transportation barriers, and ensuring patients return home safely and have access to essential healthcare services post-discharge. These providers offer specialized transportation services for individuals who are unable to use conventional means of transportation due to medical conditions or disabilities.
By collaborating with hospitals and healthcare facilities, NEMT providers can bridge the gap between healthcare services and patients’ homes. For example, Flying Angels coordinates hospital discharge transportation for transferring patients from their homes or to another care facility.
In situations where flying is involved, hiring a non-emergency medical transport service is often the right move. They provide a service that includes making all travel arrangements, including ground transportation, navigating the airport, and flight reservations.
The Benefits of Including NEMT in a Hospital Discharge Plan
Building a strong relationship with NEMT providers can yield significant benefits for both patients and healthcare institutions. Reliable transportation ensures patients travel safely, and in a much less-stressful way, back home. Timely pick-up and drop-off, coupled with a comfortable ride experience, contribute to a positive patient experience.
Improved adherence to treatment plans and follow-up appointments can also lead to lower overall healthcare costs. Effective communication in healthcare also ensures smoother transitions between healthcare settings and improves care continuity.
Including NEMT in a hospital discharge plan also provides clear communication and standardized processes that minimize scheduling errors and delays.
The Future of Hospital Discharge Planning
An increasing number of healthcare providers are including NEMT services as part of their hospital discharge plan. Some are exploring strategic partnerships with NEMT companies to provide patient transportation home from the hospital, including addressing the needs of specific patient populations with complex needs.
Collaboration between healthcare providers and NEMT services is essential to ensure seamless transitions and improve post-discharge outcomes. By prioritizing patient-centered care and leveraging the expertise of NEMT providers, healthcare organizations can enhance the quality of care delivery and ultimately improve the health and well-being of their patients.
Injury or illness in a foreign country can further impact one’s health emotionally. When far from home, and working with unfamiliar clinicians, patients will likely find themselves increasingly stressed and anxious, in addition to suffering physically. That’s why international patient transport is an important option to know about.
When people find themselves injured or ill abroad, the services offered by a non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) company, like Flying Angels, offers a great deal of comfort and peace of mind. A compassionate solution to an oftentimes difficult challenge.
Flying Angels provides an experienced critical care flight nurse who travels with the patient, and nurse flight coordinators who will make all the arrangements for the flights home. Medical flight costs are reduced by offering a less expensive alternative to air ambulances.
The Advantages of NEMT for International Patients
The practical reasons for using a NEMT company for international medical flights are many. Chief among them is continuity of care. Those injured abroad may very well prefer receiving medical treatment in their home country where they have established relationships with healthcare providers and a familiarity with the healthcare system and its procedures.
However, the benefits expand beyond the practical. Seeking medical repatriation services from a quality NEMT company offers patients, and their families, the chance to get home in a safe and timely manner. Some of the advantages of NEMT international patient transport include the following.
Support of Loved Ones
Being close to family and friends provides emotional support and reassurance. Having loved ones involved can improve patient outcomes remarkably.
“Involving patients and families in healthcare decisions about patient care and in hospital and health system policy and programs results in better health outcomes, higher quality of care, lower health system costs, and improved patient safety,” according to a study published on the U.S. government’s Patient Safety Network.
Reduced Stress and Anxiety
Experiencing an injury, illness or trauma is challenging enough, but when it occurs abroad it can increase a person’s level of stress and anxiety. Traveling back to one’s home country for medical treatment can alleviate the challenge of navigating healthcare systems and cultural differences in a foreign country.
Part of the reduction in stress and anxiety also stems from cultural comfort. When a patient is in a familiar culture, it reduces feelings of isolation and helplessness. It also allows patients to better communicate their needs and preferences to healthcare providers.
A Higher Sense of Control, Privacy
The decision to take the initiative and return home for medical treatment allows a patient to empower themselves. They gain a sense of control over their situation and their treatment plan. Another result of this decision is that patient’s may prefer to receive medical care where they have a greater sense of privacy and confidentiality, away from the scrutiny of strangers and/or a language they may not fully comprehend.
Improving Psychological Well-Being
Research shows that a familiar environment has a positive impact on a person’s psychological well-being, particularly during times of stress. Studies have found that exposure to familiar environments can reduce stress levels and promote feelings of relaxation and well-being.
Each of these advantages make international patient transport a compassionate solution for those who suffer an injury or become ill while in a foreign country. By choosing a quality NEMT company, like Flying Angels, with quality experience in international medical flights, patients will find peace of mind in knowing they are in the hands of professionals who will help them navigate the entire process and get them home safely.
