A systematic review of the costs and benefits of helicopter emergency medical services

Abstract

Introduction: Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) are popular in first world health systems despite inconsistent evidence in the scientific literature to support their use. The aim of the current study was to perform a systematic review of economic evaluations of HEMS, in order to determine the economic cost of HEMS and the associated patient-centered benefits. Method: A systematic review was performed of studies that provided a cost estimate of HEMS. The inclusion criteria consisted of English language articles that estimated both the costs and outcomes of a HEMS and fulfilled pre-specified criteria in relation to a cost analysis, cost-minimisation, cost-effectiveness or cost-benef..