Cleared to land? A nationwide analysis of emergency care hospital and HEMS infrastructure in Germany

PMCID: PMC12175417

PMID: 40528175

DOI: 10.1186/s13049-025-01418-y

Journal: Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine

Publication Date: 2025-6-17

Authors: Wolff J, Hohenstein C, Karagiannidis C, Kerkhoff J, Lossius HM, et al.

Key Points

• Only 44% of emergency care hospitals have certified helipads, compromising potential rapid medical interventions
• 30.4% of emergency care hospitals completely lack HEMS landing facilities
• Significant infrastructure disparities exist between rural and urban hospital emergency access points

Summary

This nationwide cross-sectional study comprehensively mapped Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) landing infrastructure across German emergency care hospitals, revealing significant gaps in aeromedical access infrastructure. By analyzing 1,037 emergency care hospitals, researchers found that only 69.6% have designated landing facilities, with just 44.0% featuring certified helipads and 56.0% relying on Public Interest Sites (PIS).

The study highlights critical structural challenges in emergency medical infrastructure, particularly noting that 30.4% of hospitals lack any HEMS landing facility, with particularly pronounced deficiencies in metropolitan regions. Higher-tier emergency hospitals (ECL II and III) showed variable landing facility availability, with 18.3% having no landing infrastructure. These findings underscore potential barriers to timely specialized emergency care, especially in urban settings where rapid medical transport is crucial.