Many business travelers have heard the call before, “Is there a doctor on board?”. For me it sets into motion three thoughts:
1. “That poor person! How horrible to be in medical distress 30,000 feet in the air.”
2. “Oh boy, I hope this doesn’t mean a diverted flight and long delay. (Insert guilt here for a selfish thought amid medical turmoil).
3. “What if there isn’t a doctor on board? How does this whole process work anyway?”
This blog post addresses thought #3.
How often do medical emergencies happen in-flight?
There are approximately 19,000 medical emergencies aboard airplanes each year. With about 860,000 flights in and out of the U.S. a month, the chances are about 1 in 543 that there will be a medical emergency on your flight. Of the 19,000 emergencies, only 442 required diverting the plane.What if there are no medical professionals on board?
Hopefully, you will be as relieved as I was to learn that nearly all airlines rely on a highly trained call center provided by a company called MedAire for medical emergencies. MedAire also trains flight crews and provides medical equipment for planes such as defibrillators.When a medical emergency does arise, the flight crew contacts MedAire to describe the symptoms. Thirty-five physicians are ready to take the call and walk the flight crew remotely through next steps. If a doctor or nurse is on board, MedAire will work with the medical professionals in addition to the flight crew. Here are some interesting factoids:
- The most common ailment on board is fainting
- The time from heart attack to defibrillation is only two minutes on a plane. You’d have a much longer wait in major metropolitan areas
- MedAire has two call centers: One in Tempe, AZ for emergencies that occur before take-off (at the gate or on the jet way or runway) and one in Phoenix for in-flight emergencies.
- In-flight emergencies often occur for the flight crew themselves. With long hours and so much time spent on a plane, flight attendants can fall prey to flu and other sickness
- MedAire can field more than 100 calls a day from over 70 airlines
- If follow-up care is required after the plane lands, MedAire will connect ill passengers to one of 15,000 hospitals and clinics in more than 5,000 cities
You can learn more about the team that would help keep you safe if you were to have a medical emergency in-flight in this CNN video.
Are Medical Professionals required to help out? Are they compensated?
As part of the Hippocratic Oath that every doctor takes, doctors are required to help a patient in need. Of course, medical specialists may not feel comfortable hopping in on an emergency that is outside of their scope. We enjoyed hearing a doctor’s perspective on the issue from this Pediatric Gastroenterologist. This New York Times Blog also offers some great insight from doctors.Here is a round-up of interesting facts:
- Medical professionals are not compensated for assisting in medical emergencies in-flight but airlines will often give them frequent flyer points or even travel vouchers.
- Thankfully, the Good Samaritan Law prevents well-meaning doctors from being sued for any complications that may arise when treating ill passengers.
- A great tip for doctors who would like to help out should a medical emergency arise, always include “Dr.” when booking your flight so that the flight crew can wake you up to assist if you are sleeping.
Hopefully this information will help you feel confident that your fellow passenger is in good hands the next time you hear the call for a medical professional in-flight.
Safe Travels,
Cate
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