The USA brought us the litigation culture. So wouldn’t you expect them to be on the ball when it comes to patient handling? Not in the world of EMS (Emergency Medical Services) it seems.

Dr. Bryan Bledsoe, an emergency pysician from Texas explains that during his travels he often wonders why “we don’t have that” in the USA. One of his “discoveries” is the simple tail lift that we have on our ambulances in the UK.

As Dr Blesdoe explains, “Many of the ambulances in the United Kingdom (U.K.) are equipped with a stretcher lift (called a "tail lift" in the U.K.). Once the doors of the ambulance are opened, a hydraulic lift folds down and is located at the same level as the ambulance floor. The stretcher is rolled from the ambulance floor onto the lift and locked. Then, the lift is lowered to ground level, the lock is released, and the stretcher easily rolls off onto the ground. No lifting. No scary moments for the patient. Given the large number of back injuries in EMS, and an increasing trend in patient obesity, the tail lift seems like a no-brainer for EMS. But it's exclusively in Europe. Why aren't these offered on American ambulances?”

Other ideas that make this well travelled man marvel are, wireless ECG monitors that use Bluetooth technology, EMS barf bags instead of oval shaped cardboard dishes, vacuum splints, used routinely in the UK. I was very surprised when he mentions that the USA don’t even have dedicated medical helicopters. But the real surprise was a lack of entonox (gas and air) in a single bottle, meaning EMS staff have to carry two bottles and mix it on scene.

http://www.jems.com/news_and_articles/columns/Bleds oe/why_dont_we_have_that.html?