‍DALLAS — Dubai-based Emirates (EK) is working with Parsys Telemedicine to launch a new state-of-the-art telemedicine station on its aircraft. 

The airline has invested US$2.4 million in the development of the system, which is set to be implemented across 300 aircraft over the coming years.

The advanced system features real-time medical assessments, HD video conferencing, and ECG (electrocardiogram) monitoring, empowering cabin crew to administer potentially life-saving actions in flights.

Onboard Medical Capabilities

The integrated system consists of two main components that allow crew members to assess and manage medical conditions much better.

The first component is the Parsys Telemedicine Kit, a mobile unit that comes with vital medical devices like a pulse oximeter, thermometer, blood pressure machine, glucometer, and ECG machine. The second is the MedCapture Device, a tablet featuring a user-friendly software application, that communicates with and records data from Bluetooth-enabled medical devices, transcribing passenger health data in real-time.

The data captured via these tools is immediately sent to EK’s Ground Medical Support team in Dubai, which operates 24/7, for instant advice to the flight crew. The real-time connection means that passengers with medical emergencies receive timely and informed care, reducing the number of unscheduled medical diversions.

Designed for Inflight Medical Emergencies

Emirates says the Parsys system has already proven to save lives. A recent case on a flight to Lyon (LYS) featured an elderly passenger suffering a cardiovascular "eventuality" with culminated in dangerously low oxygen levels. 

The cabin crew was able to deploy the MedCapture device which sent vital signs data back to the EK Ground Medical Support team. Doctors in the field, linked in with the Parsys Cloud, offered real-time advice so that the team could stabilize the passengers when they arrived.

Because there is no distraction of handwritten notes and articulation between flight and medical professionals, this system revolutionizes onboard medical intervention response time and accuracy.

Medical Training for Cabin Crew

This rollout of new telemedicine technology builds on EK’s robust cabin crew medical training program. New recruits go through an eight-week training course, encompassing:

• Inflight medical assistance for common conditions experienced in-flight such as fainting, choking, allergic reactions, and cardiac arrests.
• Further expertise in life-saving practices like CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), AED (automated external defibrillator) use, and childbirth help
• Infection control protocols applicable during flight including infectious disease management and onboard hygiene procedures.

Parsys kit has now been fully integrated into EK’s training curriculum and crew members are being educated through e-learning modules and practical exercises.

Recurrent Training, Psychological Preparedness

Cabin crew knowledge is assessed annually in a mandatory recurrent training program, which consists of a 90-minute online refresher in medicine, a two-hour hands-on training on adult CPR, AED use, and management of a choking incident or severe bleeding or allergies, and an inflight medical emergency simulation exercise.

In addition to technical knowledge, EK make sayus it makes sure that crew members are mentally prepared to deal with medical emergencies. Training includes empathy, passenger communication, and crisis management, teaching how to gain consent, reassure patients and communicate bad news. 

Further, EK offers post-incident mental health support through its Employee Assistance Programme, Peer Support service and Sehaty wellbeing initiative.

Inflight Medical Emergencies

A systematic review and meta-analysis published by the National Library of Medicine in 2021 examining approximately 1.5 billion passengers found that the global incidence of inflight medical emergencies was approximately 18.2 events per million passengers, with an all-cause mortality rate of 0.21 per million passengers.

Other research suggests even higher rates, with some studies indicating between 24 to 130 emergencies per million passengers.

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