On the use of economic evaluation of new technology in helicopter emergency medical services

Abstract

When evaluating new technology in helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), economic evaluation is normally part of the assessment. The outcome of economic evaluation may provide fruitful insight for the decision-makers, but, due to the complexity of the HEMS system, it is challenging to perform such evaluations in this context. A change in the components affects the whole system, and a lack of consideration of system components and their interactions may lead to unintended economic consequences when implementing new technology. Ultimately, this may cause a negative contribution to overall patient safety. We propose a conceptual methodology, using a systems model as part of the economic evaluation. The article is a revised and expanded version of a conference article presented at ESREL 2017, Slovenia.