Quality management is an integral part of Boston MedFlight's organization and an important component to our success. By this process our organization initially reviews all aspects of BMF. Policies and procedures, patient management, and educational presentations are just a few examples of our process of implementation, review, and change.

Here are a few examples of recently completed quality management projects:

• Fentanyl dosing in Medication Assisted Intubation
• Trauma Etiology in Pediatric Helicopter Transport
• Antibiotic Use in Penetrating and Open Trauma: Prevalence and Appropriateness
• Compliance with Documentation of a Pain Scale in Cardiac Patients
• Intraaortic Balloon Pump Transport: Comparison of Ground vs. Air
• Stroke Patients Tranported by HEMS: Achieving the Three Hour Window
• Crew Compliance with On-board Safety Equipment
• A Critical Review of Infection Control Practices Among Airmedical Personnel
• The Use of Traction Splints in Multi-trauma: Prevalence of Complicating Injuries
  

Boston MedFlight with support from the sponsoring consortium hospitals has fostered an environment for research based practice. Since the inception of the program, there have been changes in clinical standards and current clinical research which has helped shape the BMF Standards of Care as well as its patient care policies and procedures. The BMF research program has been one of the components which make BMF a leader in the transport community. It has resulted in numerous publications and presentations at national and regional conferences.

Research Bibliography
Published Articles

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Thomas SH, Stone CK, Harrison TH, Wedel S: Airway management in air medical transport. Air Med J; 14: 129-138. 1995.

Thomas SH, Farkas A, Wedel SK: Cabin configuration and prolonged oral endotracheal intubation in the AS365N2 Dauphin EMS helicopter. Air Med J; 15(2): 65-68, 1996.

Thomas SH, Benevelli W, Brown DF, Wedel SK: Safety of fentanyl for analgesia in adults undergoing air medical transport from trauma scene. Air Med J; 15(2): 57-59, 1996.

Amatangelo MA, Thomas SH, Harrison TH, Wedel SK: Analysis of patients discharged from receiving hospitals within 24 hours of air medical transport. Air Med J; 16(2): 44-47, 1997.

Harrison TH, Thomas SH, Wedel SK: Interhospital aeromedical transport: delayed air medical activation in adult and pediatric trauma patients. Amer J. Emerg Med; 15(2): 122-124, 1997.

Harrison TH, Thomas SH, Wedel SK: In-flight and oral endotracheal intubation. Amer J. of Emerg Med; 15(6): 558-561, 1997.

DeVellis P, Thomas SH, Wedel SK, Stein JP, Vinci RJ: Prehospital fentanyl analgesia in pediatric trauma transport. Ped Emerg Care; 14: 321-323,1998.

Murphy M, Thomas SH, Borczuk P, Wedel SK: Reduced emergency department stabilization time before cranial computed tomography in patients undergoing air medical transport. Air Med J; 16: 73-75, 1997.

Kociszewski C, Thomas SH, Wedel SK: Evaluation of three oral intubation techniques in the AS365 N2 Dauphin. Air Med J; 17 (1): 16-18, 1998.

DeVellis P, Thomas SH, Wedel SK: Prehospital and Emergency Department analgesia for air-transported patients with fractures. Prehospital Emergency Care 2(4): 293-296, 1998.

Oberg KC, Kociszewski C, Dubovsky J, LaPlante G, Lago B: Cardiac patient air medical transport in the northeast region of the United States. Prehospital Emergency Care 2(4): 293-296, 1998.

Wood S: Hip Fractures & Dislocations, Prehospital treatment for hip fractures. Jems 11: 155-165, 1998.

Thomas SH, Harrison T, Wedel SK: Flight crew airway management in four settings: A six year review. Prehospital Emergency Care 3(4): 310- 315, 1999.

Thomas SH, Orf J, Peterson C, Wedel SK. Frequency and Costs of Laboratory and Radiograph Repetition in Trauma Patients Undergoing Interfacility Transfer. American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2000; 2: 156-158.

Kociszewski C, Thomas SH, Harrison T, Wedel SK: Etomidate versus succinylcholine for intubation in an air medical setting. American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2000; 18 (7): 757-763.

Orf J, Thomas SH, Ahmed W, Wiebe L, Chamberlin P, Wedel SK, Houck C: Appropriateness of endotracheal tube size and insertion depth in children undergoing air medical transport. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2000; 16 (5): 321-327.

Thomas SH, Harrison T, Wedel SK, Thomas D: Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Role in Disaster Operations. Prehospital Emergency Care, 4: 338-343, 2001.

Wood S: Cold Complications, Assessment & management of hypothermic patients. JEMS. 2:69-79, 2001.

Thomas SH, Wedel SK, Wayne M. Oxygenation, Ventilation and Monitoring. Prehospital Trauma Care 2001; 7.

Thomas SH, Orf J, Wedel SK, Conn A: Hyperventilation in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: Inconsistency between Consensus Guidelines. The Journal of Trauma Injury, Infection and Critical Care. 52 (1): 47-53, 2002.

Thomas SH, Harrison TH, Buras W, Ahmed W, Cheema F, Wedel SK: Helicopter Transport and Blunt Trauma Mortality: A Multicenter Trial. The Journal of Trauma Injury, Infection and Critical Care. 52 (1): 136-145, 2002.

Thomas SH, Kociszewski C, Schwamm L, Wedel SK: The Evolving Role of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services In The Transfer Of Stroke Patients To Specialized Centers. Prehospital Emergency Care 2002; 6 (2): 210.

Thomas SH, Cheema F, Cumming M, Wedel SK, Thomson D: Nontrauma Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Transport: Annotated Review of Selected Outcomes-Related Literature. Prehospital Emergency Care 2002; 6 (2): 242.

Thomas SH, Cheema F, Cumming M, Wedel SK, Thomson D. Trauma Helicopter EMS transport: Annotated review of selected outcomes-related literature. Prehospital Emergency Care 2002; 6 (3):359.

Thomas SH, Williams K, Claypool D. Medical Director for Air Medical Transport Programs. Prehospital Emergency Care 2002; 6 (4):458-460.

Koppenberg J, Briggs SM, Weel SK, Conn A. Emergency Medical Service. Notfall & Rettungsmedizin. 2002; 5: 598-605.

Wood S, Vrahas M, Wedel SK: Femur fracture with traction splints in multisystem trauma patients. Prehospital Emergency Care, 2003;7 (2): 241-243.

Harrison T, Thomas SH, Wedel SK. Success rates of pediatric intubation by a non-physician staffed critical care transport service. Prehospital Emergency Care, 2004; 20(2): 101 - 107.

Tami O. Tiamfook-Morgan, Christine Kociszewski, Ciaran Browne, Derek Barclay, Suzanne K. Wedel, Stephen H. Thomas. Helicopter Scene Response: Regional Variation in Compliance with Air Medical Triage Guidelines. Prehospital Emergency Care, 2008; 12 (4): 443 - 450.