Allison -
This is a great question for which there is virtually no published guidance.
My practice does not have a protocol or guideline.
This blurb appears in an undated online article in the Journal of Urgent Care Medicine (which is not indexed in pubmed):
Mode of Transport
The choice between EMS and a personal vehicle cannot be made lightly, and requires consideration of several factors: Is the patient alone? Do they have a reliable driver? Is there a chance the patient may deteriorate? Do the patient and family understand the severity of their illness, and will go straight to the ED? EMS is a viable option for transport, and is the obvious choice if the patient is unstable or if you are anticipating the patient to deteriorate during transport.
I interpret this to mean "Use common sense" - but that's hard to write into a guideline.
EMS/NHTSA published a 50-page Guide to Interfacility Patient Transfer in 2006
It makes no mention of medical offices anywhere.
I will be very curious to see whether anyone else chimes in with a protocol or guideline that they use.
Regards,
Andy
______________________________
C Andrew Combs MD, PhD
Patient Safety & Quality Committee, SMFM
Women's Services Safety & Quality Committee, GSH
Program Commitee, Pacific Coast Ob Gyn Society
Obstetrix Medical Group, an affiliate of Mednax
900 East Hamilton Avenue, Suite 220
Campbell, California 95008
E-mail: andrewcombs@me.com
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