Patient transport via private vehicle in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

OBJECTIVE

Emergency medical service providers frequently encounter patients with low acuity. Because of liability and safety concerns, emergency medical service systems often prohibit privately owned vehicle (POV) transport. Thus, prehospital resources are used with questionable benefit. In Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, our primary objective was to determine the feasibility of POV. We assessed patient compliance, satisfaction, and safety. Our hypothesis was that POV is feasible with online physician medical control.

METHODS

This study was a prospective observational analysis of outcomes from POV during a 1-year period. All POV patients were advised to seek medical attention at a hospital. POV patients were asked questions about their medical complaint and the events during transport and at the hospital.

RESULTS

No documented admissions or patient deterioration was noted. During the survey, all patients were either "all better" (86%) or "somewhat better" (14%).

CONCLUSION

We conclude that POV with carefully selected patients and online physician medical control is feasible and deserves further study in other systems.