Estimation of Potential Demand for Air Ambulance and Effective Request Methods

As of April 2025, a total of 57 air ambulances have been deployed in Japan.The number of dispatches varies greatly from base to base, although the number of dispatches is approximately 30,000 per year.The population distribution of the surrounding area and the location of emergency medical institutions are thought to have an influence on the number of dispatches, but it is also possible that the decision-making method used to request an air ambulance may also be affected.In this study, we estimate the potential demand for transport by an air ambulance based on actual ground transport by ambulance for the entire country.In addition, we focus on the difference in hospital arrival time due to differences in request methods and propose that this difference be added to the criteria for decision-making when requesting awareness.