Seafarers Hospital Society (SHS) has developed a set of new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the area of medical emergencies on ships. This initiative aims to strengthen preparedness and response to medical crises at sea and addresses the specific challenges faced in responding to serious illnesses and injuries at sea.
New KPI Framework
These KPIs provide a structured approach to assess how maritime organizations prepare for, respond to, and learn from medical emergencies. SHS emphasizes that effective medical service delivery is not limited to proper equipment and procedures, but also depends on timely assessment, clear pathways for improvement, access to medical expertise on land, and the ability to review incidents and improve future responses.
Workshops and KPI Development
The development of these KPIs followed a comprehensive workshop in June conducted by SHS along with medical experts from the International Maritime Health Association (IMHA) and the International Maritime Health Foundation (IMHF). These emergency indicators help promote a culture of care in the maritime sector and focus on the systems and capabilities needed during medical emergencies on ships.
These KPIs include four advanced levels, starting from identifying core capabilities and recording emergency incidents, and culminating in assessing response effectiveness and continuous improvement. These indicators cover areas such as inspection of medical equipment, emergency procedures, access to telemedical assistance services (TMAS), time for initial medical assessment, medical evacuations, emergency medical drills, and post-incident reviews.
Overall, these measures help ship operators move beyond merely confirming the existence of arrangements to understanding how effectively those arrangements operate in practice and where improvements may be needed. Indeed, medical emergencies at sea encompass numerous challenges, including delays in receiving medical assistance from land, initial crew preparedness and response, and the availability of medical resources on board.
SHS hopes that by providing a clear framework for monitoring preparedness, response, and outcomes of emergencies, it will assist shipping companies, ship managers, and owners in developing a documented and evidence-based approach to the health and safety of seafarers.
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