Patient Outcomes in Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Documentaries and on Air Ambulance Websites.

Background Helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) documentaries attract millions of viewers, and publicly available patient stories on Air Ambulance websites are vital to raise awareness and funding for Air Ambulance charities in the United Kingdom (UK). Despite abundant research investigating how fictional programs and news outlets present patient health outcomes, there are no comprehensive studies that investigate how non-fictional HEMS documentaries or Air Ambulance websites present patient outcomes. The aim of this study is to capture the frequency of poor outcomes (mortality) in patients broadcasted on documentaries focusing on HEMS and the patient stories section of UK Air Ambulance websites. Methods A retrospective cohort study reviewed five HEMS documentaries between January 2016 and October 2019 and 20 Air Ambulance websites that had patient stories published until October 2020. In all, 628 patients identified fit the eligibility criteria: 311 from HEMS documentaries and 317 patients from Air Ambulance websites.  Results In all, 0.64% (4/628) of patients died before the hospital, including 0.96% (3/311) of patients on HEMS documentaries and 0.32% (1/317) of patients on Air Ambulance websites. In addition, 2.23% (14/628) of patients died according to their final mention in the data source, including 1.93% (6/311) of patients on HEMS documentaries and 2.52% (8/317) of patients on Air Ambulance websites. Conclusions This study suggests under-reporting of poor patient outcomes in HEMS documentaries and on UK Air Ambulance websites. This could be attributed to the logistical and ethical implications of capturing and presenting poor outcomes but likely impacts upon public perception. Medical professionals should recognize this in order to proactively address potential misconceptions when communicating with patients and their families.

Making emergency responders visible: working-class responses to industrial disaster in 19th-century journalism and poetry.

Hidden beneath the ground in coalmines, or behind the walls of factories, injured bodies of workers have too often been overlooked. Using the 1842 Hartley Colliery disaster as a case study, this paper contrasts journalistic neglect with the ways in which working-class poets illuminated responses to large-scale injury. Often the greatest difficulty in industrial disaster was in securing access to trapped victims. Arriving late on the scene, neither journalists nor doctors were able to influence the outcome of events: in most cases emergency treatment was provided by workers themselves. While journalists struggled to portray these men's stories, working-class poets such as Joseph Skipsey brought attention to their collaborative actions even in the face of injury or death. The actions of these colliers as first responders had a lasting significance, foreshadowing working-class involvement in the wider cultural shift towards collective responsibility for healthcare.

Medical student volunteering during COVID-19: lessons for future interprofessional practice.

Due to the unprecedented pressures on healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical students internationally volunteered to assist in hospitals. In the United Kingdom, most students worked in roles similar to Healthcare Assistants: helping to support nurses in providing patient care. Although the current situation is exceptional, with medical students eager to contribute to the COVID-19 response, they have also gained valuable experience in interprofessional collaboration. By working closely with nurses, medical students have gained practical understanding of the different roles within the hospital environment and been involved in providing hands-on care to patients. The experience of the current pandemic has shown the willingness of medical students to volunteer in Healthcare Assistant roles and demonstrated the ability of hospitals to successfully integrate students into established nursing teams. This short report provides a reflection on the advantages of these placements and argues for their continuation in future practice.