ArticleBMC emergency medicine2017
Locating helicopter emergency medical service bases to optimise population coverage versus average response time.
Article in BMC emergency medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Factors affecting the preparedness of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in disasters: a systematic review.BMC emergency medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Geographical alignment of prehospital critical care services with population need for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Selection of helicopter bases and transport modes to minimize pre-hospital times in Iceland.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Intraarterial blood pressure monitoring in prehospital emergency care: a scoping review.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Patient and mission characteristics of helicopter emergency medical services in the Republic of Ireland: a retrospective analysis.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Investigating the barriers to air medical services in accidents and disasters in Iran and suggesting solutions: a qualitative study.BMC research notes · 2024Article
- Factors affecting development of air ambulance base: A systematic review and thematic analysis.Journal of education and health promotion · 2021Review
- Improving ambulance coverage in a mixed urban-rural region in Norway using mathematical modeling.PloS one · 2019Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNew South Wales (NSW), Australia has a network of multirole retrieval physician staffed helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) with seven bases servicing a jurisdiction with population concentrated along the eastern seaboard. The aim of this study was to estimate optimal HEMS base locations within NSW using advanced mathematical modelling techniques.
methodsWe used high resolution census population data for NSW from 2011 which divides the state into areas containing 200-800 people. Optimal HEMS base locations were estimated using the maximal covering location problem facility location optimization model and the average response time model, exploring the number of bases needed to cover various fractions of the population for a 45 min response time threshold or minimizing the overall average response time to all persons, both in green field scenarios and conditioning on the current base structure. We also developed a hybrid mathematical model where average response time was optimised based on minimum population coverage thresholds.
resultsSeven bases could cover 98% of the population within 45mins when optimised for coverage or reach the entire population of the state within an average of 21mins if optimised for response time. Given the existing bases, adding two bases could either increase the 45 min coverage from 91% to 97% or decrease the average response time from 21mins to 19mins. Adding a single specialist prehospital rapid response HEMS to the area of greatest population concentration decreased the average state wide response time by 4mins. The optimum seven base hybrid model that was able to cover 97.75% of the population within 45mins, and all of the population in an average response time of 18 mins included the rapid response HEMS model.
conclusionsHEMS base locations can be optimised based on either percentage of the population covered, or average response time to the entire population. We have also demonstrated a hybrid technique that optimizes response time for a given number of bases and minimum defined threshold of population coverage. Addition of specialized rapid response HEMS services to a system of multirole retrieval HEMS may reduce overall average response times by improving access in large urban areas.
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