What everyone in the field should know

This professional course is aimed at the medically specialised care provider who wants to provide medical guidance to potential intensive-care patients, or other care-intensive patients - for patients on air ambulance flights or IC-stretcher transports on scheduled flights.

1. Introduction, purpose and outline of the program.
   - A broad overview of what will and will not be covered over the coming two days, and what will be carried over to the advanced / expert course.

2. The standard chain of care for a patient to be repatriated, a multi-role presentation.
   - Perspective of the alarm centre, medical escort providers, air ambulances, and other parties.

3. The non-medical matters.
   - The organisation
   - Legal aspects (limited) and informed consent.
   - Insurance.
   - Documentation.
   - Logistics(later)

4. Medical: the paper-based pre-assessment

5. Medical: pre-flight, on-site examination of the patient by the repatriating medical professional; case-driven

6. Medical assessment and action before and during the flight. What works differently during repatriations compared to the clinic?
   - Skills in the areas of Airways, Breathing, Circulation (excluding cardiology), and Deficit (Neurology), as well as Airways (basics)

7. Case study 1, case study 2 as homework.

1. Welcome, discussion of homework.

2. Stresses of flight, Basics.

3. What can be expected of you, given your professional title - including the medical equipment.

4. The cardiological perspective.

5. Group assignment: interactive case study 3.

6. Anticoagulation.

7. Logistical / operational issues - case-driven treatment. Topics include:
   - Duty / rest times.
   - A potentially infectious patient.
   - AOG / delay.
   - Improper treatment (of patient or care provider).
   - Complaints, quality indicators, Inspectorate.
   - Airport / country-specific issues.
   - Etc.

8. Group assignment: interactive case study 4.

9. Testing.

10. Evaluation and closing.

Our courses are taught by experienced experts in the field with relevant backgrounds. Guest speakers are also invited for each course.

We have access to a faculty with the following qualifications:

• Experienced emergency dispatch centre physicians.

• Experienced repatriation physicians and flight nurses.

• Infectious disease physician.

• United Nations repatriation consultant.

• Flight surgeon-intensivists.

• Pulmonologist-diving physician.

• Cardiologist flight surgeons.

• Coordinating head of a medical escort company.

• TÜV-accredited flight nurse instructors.

• Anaesthesiologist flight surgeons.

• Military anaesthesiologists.

Given the international interest, it will be communicated for each course whether it will be taught in Dutch or English. Upon request, and with sufficient interest, a course in German or French is also possible.

Cursusdata:

This course is a basic course. What everyone should know about medical AND non-medical matters. Matters that apply to all repatriations. Topics such as preparation, limitations imposed by the aviation environment, the additional stimuli caused by flying, limitations due to logistics, regulations, but also one's own knowledge and skills. Naturally, there are many organisation-specific points of attention particular to your own organisation, which cannot be covered here. "Basic course" also implies that we cannot go into great depth on the individual subtopics.

Certificates only mean something if external parties, such as clients, can see that the participant has actually reached the outlined level. That is why, at the end of the course, there are two types: Attended, or, upon successful completion of the test: Passed.

The Advanced course focuses more on applying existing knowledge to the actually ill patient, or the patient with a realistic chance of a change in medical condition during transport. To be eligible to take part in the Advanced course, the rule is that the basic course must have been successfully completed.