CAMTS sets the standard

Abstract

In October 2004, the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) will publish the 6th edition of its accreditation standards. Revisions for the next edition begin almost immediately because we strive to publish standards that are concurrent with actual practice. Patient care and safety remain the two highest priorities. In developing new standards and revising current guidelines, the challenge is to raise the bar with each new edition, while keeping standards clear and meaningful with enough flexibility to address the unique variances of medical transport. Looking back at previous editions of CAMTS standards is like reviewing the changes we have experienced in the medical transport profession. When accreditation standards were first developed in 1991, we incorporated guidelines already developed by organizations such as the Association of Air Medical Services, the Helicopter Association International, Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association, and the National EMS Pilots Association. We held public forums to include input from individual professionals directly involved in medical transport. We wrote the first standards with great emphasis on the rotor-wing, hospital-based program because this is where the greatest challenges were in terms of safety and where most of the input originated. Since 1995, we have expanded the rotor-wing and fixed-wing sections to more appropriately address the independent medical transport systems that are not affiliated with hospitals and to address maintenance issues not previously included. By 1997, CAMTS changed its name to include standards and a process for ground critical care transport teams. These ground services, especially the pediatric and neonatal teams, wanted to demonstrate their level of quality and be eligible to apply for accreditation. In 2000, we also included ground advance life support (ALS)/basic life support (BLS) standards to meet the needs of expanding programs that wanted to have their entire transport service accredited by one body and through one site visit. Many air medical services were expanding into ground transport at all levels of care, so these standards were developed, and now ground ALS/BLS services can be included in the accreditation application if associated with an air or ground critical care service. In 2002, in an effort to de-emphasize titles (registered nurse and physician) as the only way to define critical care team members, we added an alternative means for programs to apply as a critical care team. Paramedic teams can apply as a critical care team if they demonstrate this level of care through mission profile, patient acuity, clinical experience, and educational requirements. Most importantly, outcome studies must show appropriate care is provided and a comprehensive performance improvement process must exist to review the critical care transports. As we move forward to the 2004 edition of standards, we will include a section for medical escort services and programs that provide medical escorts on commercial airlines or ground vehicles. We also will list criteria for human patient simulators that are appropriate in meeting the standards for initial and ongoing training. We have posted the first draft of revisions for the 6th edition on the Web site (www.camts.org). We value all suggestions and have included a comment section with the revisions. Your input will go directly to the accreditation standards committee and be considered for the second draft, which will be presented to the board of directors for approval at the July meeting.