The CAMTS Web site

Abstract

The 6th edition Accreditation Standards are now available on the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) Web site as a free download. A hard copy of the 2004 standards can also be ordered over the site (for $25 as before). The hard copy includes an index, a glossary, and an education matrix that are not part of the free download. The accreditation standards are the criteria used to measure a medical transport service's compliance. If the service is in significant compliance with the standards, accreditation will be awarded. For medical transport services that are distributing multiple copies to personnel while preparing for accreditation, the free download will be very useful. Also, medical transport services that just want to measure their program against the accreditation criteria will find the free download very helpful. The accreditation standards are widely accepted medical transport standards and are used for benchmarking and as a blueprint for organizational planning. Other publications and tools also are available for purchase on the site. Best Practices is a collection of outstanding programs and policies from accredited medical transport services. After 13 years of reviewing medical transport services, the board has identified many excellent examples. The third issue of Best Practices includes policies requested for accreditation, education and competency training programs, and quality management/performance improvement programs. This year we also include forms and reference tools for things like employee health screens, human factors training in maintenance, a safety analysis scorecard, and a rotor-wing risk analysis tool developed to help a pilot with weather decisions. We update Best Practices every 2 to 3 years. The current edition was published in October 2004. The Program Information Form (PIF) can also be purchased through the site without actually applying for accreditation. The PIF, a self-study document that asks a specific question about each accreditation standard, is a very useful tool in interpreting the accreditation standards and determining whether a medical transport service is prepared for accreditation. Along with specific questions comes a list of documents, policies, and education programs requested by CAMTS to be submitted when applying for accreditation. In the past, a medical transport service could acquire a PIF only if applying for accreditation. The CAMTS board of directors wanted to make the form available to everyone because it is a very useful tool in setting up a new medical transport service or determining whether a service is complying with national standards. CAMTS policies and procedures are also available as a free download. A policy manual is initially sent to each accreditation applicant. However, policies change, and it is the responsibility of accredited services to keep them updated by simply downloading the entire policy manual and new or revised policies as they are posted. The board of directors reviews policies on an annual basis but also revises and creates new policies as needed. In January 2005, we began to feature an accredited medical transport service with a picture and a brief description of the service. Air One in Tyler, Texas, was our first featured medical transport service with a picture of their American Eurocopter BO105 sitting in front of a huge American flag. Please enjoy these features and explore our site at www.camts.org.