Importance of Proper Protocol in Hospital Patient Transportation

When discussing hospital transportation, many immediately think of an ambulance and emergency calls. The truth is the majority of hospital patient transport occurs during non-emergent situations. Discharging a patient to the appropriate facility can become complex if the nurse, case manager, or discharge planner does not know how to differentiate between ambulance protocols versus non-medical transportation. That confusion can lead to requesting the wrong level of transportation, which can lead to a misuse of funds.

For example, the difference between basic life support ambulance guidelines and non-medical stretcher guidelines is that most of the hospital budget can be misused or consumed if not followed correctly. This is why having a centralized transportation center with personnel trained in call triaging is key for dispatching the correct level of service. Sending the wrong type of transportation not only causes hardship for the staff and patients but also delays the hospital’s throughput. 

As a state-certified paramedic with more than 33 years of experience, and as an emergency medical dispatch instructor working with the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch for more than 15 years, one thing I have discovered is the lack of protocol within the non-medical transportation field. When first considering companies as vendors for non-medical transportation, I would question, “What is your training program for new hires? What is the uniform policy? Is there customer service training? “Only to find out there were no such policies in place.

Therefore, vendors must meet certain transportation provider requirements before being referred to as a professional transportation providers. These procedures must meet the following pillars of transportation, which will hold the industry’s highest standards.

1. Patient care and patient safety

2. Customer service

3. Professionalism, including but not limited to punctuality, preparation, courtesy, and integrity.

4. Equipment safety and maintenance

5. Vehicle environment and maintenance

6. Training and recertification protocols

7. Dispatch center with computer-aided dispatch software usage for routing and dispatching calls

8. Field supervision

9. Company uniforms with proper identification badges

In 2013, we implemented our centralized transportation department, which included call triaging for over four major facilities and two nursing facilities. Within 12 months, we improved our budget by more than 45 percent.

Once we implemented these principles at Jackson Health System, not only did we improve patient care, but we also improved our patients’ experience with transportation. We believe care does not end until the patient arrives safely at their destination.