The big picture of medical transport

The report by Singh and colleagues¹ adds significantly to the broader discussion of regionalized health care and the risks of transporting patients to distant areas for care. In addition to the risks associated with the actual transportation of the patient, studies also need to address the issues faced by patients prior to “lifting off from home” and what happens at the “other end.” Health care professionals seeking more advanced care for their patients often have to search for significant lengths of time before a receiving centre and team can be found. Once a receiving centre is identified, there are often further delays for a multitude of reasons ranging from the weather to the expertise of the transporting team. Such delays can make a difference to patients with serious problems. Understanding the fuller extent of these “transport issues” and the effects and costs that they have is really required.