The Applicability of eVTOLs in Emergency Medical Care in Japan

Abstract Background: The present study aims to elucidate the applicability of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that dispatch only a doctor to provide a solution to the operational challenges of utilizing a helicopter to transport a doctor to the patient/s, with such physician-staffed emergency medical helicopters being known as doctor heli (DH), in Japan.Methods: This study conducted interviews with 17 parties related to DHs in five prefectures in Japan to depict challenges of DHs and eVTOL requirements. Subsequently, this study analyzed the Hokusoh DH flight data, as an example, in terms of cases for which flight doctors consider condition assessment and initial treatment provision by a doctor would be particularly effective, to assess the hypothesis that a two-seater is applicable for emergency medical care (EMS) and that eVTOLs help reduce duplicate dispatch requests for DHs as well as the percentage and delayed dispatch time of duplicate requests.Results: Challenges of DHs and eVTOL requirements were identified and classified into six major categories. Data analysis results indicated that two-seater eVTOLs would be particularly effective for trauma, cardiac disease, brain disease cases, and pediatric patient cases and help solve duplicate requests.Conclusions: Two-seater eVTOLs are likely applicable in EMS in Japan.