Patient and mission characteristics of helicopter emergency medical services in the Republic of Ireland: a retrospective analysis
Over the past decade, HEMS in Ireland has provided a valuable contribution to the care of seriously ill and injured patients, particularly in the west and southwest. Service use reflects HEMS base proximity, indicating potential benefits from geographic expansion. Current activation criteria appears to target an appropriate patient cohort, however sustained reassessment of dispatch criteria and hours of operation may enhance service availability. Continued development should focus on adopting evidence based-practices and advancing critical care capacity to align with international HEMS standards.
Authors
- Ryan Quinn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4690-1018)
- Paul Jennings (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5605-7589)
- Sheena McHugh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6595-0491)
- Colm P. O’Donnell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8004-450X)
- David Hennelly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5297-8244)
- Siobhán Masterson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3003-4792)
- Conor Deasy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6613-0076)
Institutions
- University College Cork (IE)
- Ambulance Victoria (AU)
- Cork University Hospital (IE)
- Ambulance Care (Sweden) (SE)
- Monash University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scandinavian Journal of Trauma Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine
- Published
- 2025-10-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-025-01459-3
- Primary Topic
- Trauma and Emergency Care Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Health Service Executive