List Archives

Tue Apr 20 17:32:23 BST 2004

S C I E N C E ! ! !

Scientific arguments here
Can safely state that Helicopters and Medics have very little impact
on Pt survivals

So....

We have neither

... and we are so much better off ! ! ! ? ? ?

... not our Pts of course

Albeit either (Medics & Medevacs)
Created overinflated expectations that did not pan out
And do not deliver the dramatic and statistical survival
That their initial premise and justification implied

You guys are left trying to decide if these services that are
provided
Are worth the expense in view to the questionable advantages
Not taking into account any imponderable conveniences 
... we are waiting for your conclusions

Charles Brault EMT-P
*The place? : Province of Quebec(largest state/prov on the continent)
Territory, absence of CCT**, barely recognised EMED Speciality(2002),
4 Level 1 trauma ctrs, no 24/24 cath labs, shortage of doctors,
absence of Medics and the universal paucity of good prehosp studies
makes for a suprisingly scientificaly sustainable entity.

**(2 CCT Ped teams in Montreal 
& 1 doctor based Challenger Medevac team in Quebec (no peds))

--- DocRickFry at aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 4/20/2004 8:43:11 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
> mmackinnon at cox.net writes:
> 
> > have been working air medical long enough to know that I have
> made a 
> > difference in patient care. Research studies like this are often
> created with a 
> > result already decided. It is important not to forget that
> statistics and 
> > research are easily biased. This particular study simply doesn't
> take into account 
> > all the facts and variables involved. Its flawed.
> 
> Be careful of statements like these so loaded with classic flaws
> unapparent 
> to the one who states such--it seems you are just like these
> studies--you, too, 
> seem to forget that your very assertion indicates an
> already-decided 
> conclusion, full of bias yourself--try to objectively look at this.
>  Also, such a 
> blanket statement ignores whether indeed this study falls into this
> category--why 
> not criticize and analyze the study itself for validity, instead of
> deciding 
> from the outset that it is flawed simply because others may be? 
> Too much 
> invested in your own line of work, afraid of what objective
> scrutiny may in fact 
> show?  How exactly do you know that lives were saved by helicopter
> THAT 
> OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN?  It would take properly accumulated
> and analyzed data 
> to make such a statement--if you have such (which does not mean
> emotional 
> testimonials and anecdotal war stories), then fill us in on
> that--not just an empty 
> brag.  In fact, you cannot possibly "know" any such thing!
> This is the classic difference between biased anecdote and
> something you do 
> not seem familiar with--it's called SCIENCE.  This concept is why
> we know 
> longer use mast trousers (which your own colleagues also swore up
> and down saved 
> lives for years, until real data showed just the opposite--showing
> the true 
> worth of such assertions!)
> With your mindset, we would still be practicing bloodletting 200
> years later, 
> another procedure that all practitioners "knew" absolutely saved
> lives--until 
> real data showed how many lives it actually snuffed out, including
> that of 
> our first President!
> Let's debate these issues at the level our professions should
> require, and 
> leave the classic flaws of anecdotes to the lay public who do not
> know any 
> better  The biggest difference between yourself and the quoted
> study is that at 
> least they are making a real attempt to find the truth, rather than
> just 
> pronounce it from on high.
> ERF
> > --
> trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG
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