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kc900

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Hey guys, I'm new to the forum here.

I'm an industrial designer and I'm taking on a big project to redesign the ambulances inside and out, and possibly the stretcher as well.

Since you guys are pros I was wondering if you'd like to take part in the design and help me answer some of the questions I have.

Here's the list, feel free to answer any of them, anything is very appreciated

1: What are the "speedbumps" or problems you run into each day on the job?
2: What would your solution be?
3: Are there any areas that you feel are lacking in terms of safety?
4: How many steps are typically required to take the stretcher out and unfold it?
5: Would having two patients on board cause a problem?
6: Would placing the treatments into categorized "bins" based on the patient's situation be of any help?
7: Are there any areas of the job that require a lot of time?
8: Would being seated and restrained the entire duration of the trip be challenging?
9: Out of every 10 cars, how many notice your presence approaching them?
10: What do you think the ambulance needs to better your job?
11: Are there any medical devices that are not strapped down during transport?
12: Do you think there are aspects of the stretcher that could be redesigned?
13: How much ambulance body roll is experienced during a trip?
14: Do the ambulances use a lot of fuel?
15: What accessories would you want to implement on the interior or exterior of the ambulance?

Thanks guys! :D :beerchug:
 
Hi there. We get these questions about every three months or so. My suggestion is, find a local ambulance company and ride along with them for a couple of days. All of your questions will be answered and you'll be able to see it firsthand.

I'm sure you'll get all kinds of responses, but it will all be anecdotal, it will all be different due to the wide variations of equipment that we use and none of it will make any sense to you because you're not familiar with EMS or ambulance operations.

Seriously. Go ride along on an ambulance for a few days.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
DEmedic said:
Hi there. We get these questions about every three months or so. My suggestion is, find a local ambulance company and ride along with them for a couple of days. All of your questions will be answered and you'll be able to see it firsthand.

I'm sure you'll get all kinds of responses, but it will all be anecdotal, it will all be different due to the wide variations of equipment that we use and none of it will make any sense to you because you're not familiar with EMS or ambulance operations.

Seriously. Go ride along on an ambulance for a few days.
Click to expand...

That really sounds like the best way to go.
 
This person gives our forum members an opportunity to provide input on ambulance design and we tell him/her to go do a ride-a-long? This person probably wants the input of those who ride in an ambulance for a living, not just as a day trip out of the office.:rolleyes:
 
chc1993 said:
This person gives our forum members an opportunity to provide input on ambulance design and we tell him/her to go do a ride-a-long? This person probably wants the input of those who ride in an ambulance for a living, not just as a day trip out of the office.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Like DEMedic said, we get these requests every three months or so...and we have answered the questions before but have never seen any of the changes we've recommended/requested.

Usually these are part of a class assignment in an engineering course of some type, and what we've seen is that once the assignment is complete so is the interest in EMS.

Or you could answer the question the OP posted instead of commenting on how nobody else has answered the questions yet.
 
Needs a disco ball, today's ambulances are severely lacking in disco ball.
 
CFal said:
Needs a disco ball, today's ambulances are severely lacking in disco ball.
Click to expand...

You're not Mother and I've never had a partner that looked like Juggs. :D
 
I will try to answer every question if I can.

1: What are the "speedbumps" or problems you run into each day on the job?
My largest grudge are people calling 911 just for a taxi ride, or nurses requesting stretcher transport for patients that require only MAV.

2: What would your solution be?
I think the best solution is to educate the community and facilities on the scope of practice and values of an EMS system.

3: Are there any areas that you feel are lacking in terms of safety?
I think that patients can become combative and uncooperative at times, where restraints might be needed. At times, cravats just are not enough and real restraints are necessary. I would also like more of a police presence in my area and have police perform searches on patient's on a regular basis. --Had a recent call where a drunk was put on our truck with a knife due to no search, thankfully he was rather calm and honest.

4: How many steps are typically required to take the stretcher out and unfold it? Depends on your height and strength but not many.

5: Would having two patients on board cause a problem?
Having two patient could be a problem if they were not stable patients. There is not anything wrong with two stable patients. However, I would not normally recommend putting two patients from the same MVC but seperate care into the same rig.

6: Would placing the treatments into categorized "bins" based on the patient's situation be of any help?
One of the companies that I work for does this and it is extremely helpful. We have a CPR bin that has razors, bvm, airways, o2 tubing, tape. We also have a loose item bin for random supplies. It also helps with inventory and rig checks. If a bin is sealed, it is full. If a bin has a broken bin, we just replace the bin.

7: Are there any areas of the job that require a lot of time?
I have found that the most time consuming part of my job is writing a good quality patient care report. Also, in IFT you will require a lot of time driving.

8: Would being seated and restrained the entire duration of the trip be challenging?
You will find that there are many people that do not put a seatbelt on in the back. I personally always have it on. Sometimes if the patient is critical, it does have to come of. There are also times, when I start with a seatbelt and take off as needed, but it always goes back on.

9: Out of every 10 cars, how many notice your presence approaching them?
I would guess that most don't realize but its normally a question I think to ask.

10: What do you think the ambulance needs to better your job?
I think the best thing is to keep the ambulance stocked with all the equipment that you need and stay modern with newer things like new stretchers and stairchairs.

11: Are there any medical devices that are not strapped down during transport?
In New Jersey, everything is either secured into the cabinet or strapped down, as per law. This does not mean it always happens but its suppose to. I will be honest, there are many times during transport of an EMS patient, that my bag does not make back into the cabinet until after we clear.

12: Do you think there are aspects of the stretcher that could be redesigned?
My only complaints were that the back folds down and is a pain. I found the solution to that when I started my most recent job, they have stretchers that the back retracts into the frame.

13: How much ambulance body roll is experienced during a trip?
Dont know.

14: Do the ambulances use a lot of fuel?
Generally ambulances are larger and do require more fuel. There is always a difference between Type I, Type II, and Type III and also gas vs diesel.

15: What accessories would you want to implement on the interior or exterior of the ambulance?
I don't accessorize my ambulance. The only things I want are things that I need. Some tools can be usefull in saving space (IE having glove holders mounted to the walls opposed to storing gloves in a cabinet), but otherwise not.
 
1- I'll agree the biggest "speedbump" is all of the non-necessary taxi rides we have to give. There is a large segment of society nowadays that take up as their free ride to the ER which has become their Primary Care Facility.

2- Allowing the medics to treat and release, or refuse non-essential transport. Taxi Vouchers.

3- One of the biggest areas I have found was my old employers habit of refusing to provide lift assists with large patients. Our patients are getting much larger too.

4- Push the release, grab the handle, pull the stretcher out.

5- Sometimes, if the 2 aren't related there could be some privacy issues, if one or both are unstable there is a working space/room issue.

6- Don't know about treatment bins, but our cabinets are pretty much categorized. Airway cabinet, drug cabinet, IV cabinet, bandage cabinet, etc.

7- When I was working IFT the drive times to facilities way out of our area due to stupid dispatching/stupid dispatching protocols. While working 911, having to drive 45 miles, past 3 hospitals, for a minor complaint, because our county protocol stated that we would bring any patient to the hospital of their choice, making us the free county taxi.

8- Yes, no way you can reach all your stuff, and treat the patient while belted in.

9- With lights and sirens running, I bet about 75 percent don't yield or get out of the way.

10- A personal assistant, go fetch person.

11- Usually after we load the patient our bag, monitor and portable O2 doesn't get strapped down for the ride to the hospital.

12- Everything could always use a little tweaking, but no real complaints on the stretcher.

13- Depends on the driver.

14- Some are better than others.

15- I'll also give my vote for the disco ball.:rofl:
 
On a slightly more serious note, siren problems are a serious issue. Newer cars are better at blocking outside sounds so sirens need to be louder, but you also want to reduce the volume inside the ambulance.

http://www.mcsquared.com/sirens.htm
 
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