For healthcare providers, getting patients in the door is half the battle. That’s why more and more nursing homes, hospitals and home healthcare organizations are getting involved in helping the estimated 3.6 million Americans that don’t get the medical care they need due to lack of transportation.1

As a result, many healthcare organizations have grown their fleet of vans, buses and ambulances to transport patients to and from their facilities, or to get to homebound patients. This opens healthcare organizations up to a host of other risks and liabilities.

Hiring the right drivers to deal with elderly or sick patients, training them to skillfully use paratransit vehicles and drive defensively have all proven to be significant challenges. Maintaining a fleet of vehicles is an added expense and headache for healthcare organizations that don’t have the expertise of transportation businesses.

Meeting patients where they are

To meet the transportation needs of patients in the safest, most cost-effective way possible, consider the following best practices:

  1. Have a fleet safety program and enforce it. This should include policies and procedures on safe driving, on when to report violations, and how often you’ll be doing motor vehicle record (MVR) checks with the state to confirm the validity of each driver’s license and standing with the state. Drug and alcohol programs should be included in this program. Do you have a zero-tolerance policy? If so, spell it out. Include accident investigation protocols and make sure it’s known to all drivers well before they get into a fender bender or receive a speeding ticket.
    Let drivers know that you mean business by enforcing your safety program rules and regulations. If a driver is cruising at over 100 mph (even without patients) and receives no consequence, then a few months later when he is involved in a real crash, plaintiffs’ attorneys will get a hold of the van’s telematics and your organization will pay the price.
  2. Employ technology. When implemented properly, in-vehicle telematics can help promote an organization’s safety program by monitoring driver behavior and serving as a deterrent to poor driving. Providing organizations with driver data, telematics helps enforce safety policies and procedures. Other technology is available aftermarket, if not already installed, that can alert drivers to lane departure or following to close and may include automatic braking features.
  3. Train drivers. Besides the basics of safe driving, not knowing the proper way to secure a wheelchair-bound patient into a paratransit van presents a serious liability for any healthcare organization. Train drivers on exactly what they need to know to transport your unique patient population before they get behind the wheel. Does the patient carry an oxygen tank, or other specialized equipment? Educate drivers on how to work with any type of medical gear your patients may have. In addition to the potential medical scenarios, consider training drivers on how to deal with combative or argumentative patients. Even a little training can go a long way in teaching patience.
  4. Perform regular and scheduled maintenance on vehicles. While the vast majority of accidents are the result of human error, as many as 5% are due to vehicle maintenance issues or breakdowns. When there’s an accident with one of your marked vehicles, everyone will see it sitting on the side of the road, company logo and all. In addition to being safe, vehicle maintenance is also a reputational thing.

Contact your HUB Healthcare or Transportation expert to find out more about how we can help you keep your patients and drivers safe and performing optimally.

1 https://www.aha.org/system/files/hpoe/Reports-HPOE/2017/sdoh-transportation-role-of-hospitals.pdf