Expert medical care at the push of a button, even at 40,000 feet

MedAire — an International SOS company — provides aviation clients with fully integrated medical and security services.

Year

2020

Office

Auckland

Industry

Healthcare, Aviation

Product

Website

Our Roles

Solution design

Connect devices and iot

Product design

The Challenge

To build an app that enhances and supports MedLink — an existing service offering 24/7 real-time access to emergency room doctors at any time of day, anywhere in the world. To improve communication between cabin crew in the air and medical experts on the ground during in-flight emergencies.

Our Approach

Our team of problem solvers started by building on the existing MedLink service - evolving it into an even greater life-saving tool, but for the digital age. MedLink calls could only be made from the cockpit, not from beside the ill passenger — this meant valuable time was being lost in the back and forth. Audio quality could also be poor, impacting the clarity of communication and accuracy of patient information relayed to medical teams on the ground. By using the in-flight WiFi we created the opportunity for cabin crew to be next to the passenger while speaking directly to the MedAire medical team at the push of a button via the InFlight app. A series of questions and a step-by-step checklist allow crew members to quickly yet accurately assess and capture the patient's symptoms, medical background and other key information — all helping to ensure the correct treatment is given and the best possible patient outcomes are achieved.

The Outcome

Improved accuracy, efficiency and quality of care for airline passengers in the event of a medical emergency. Feedback from cabin crew and the MedLink support teams on the ground has been universally positive, and we continue to partner with MedAire and the wider International SOS business to help evolve its life-saving products and services for a digital age.

600
600
600

Emergency calls everyday

150
150
150

Airlines

500k
500k
500k

People in the air at any once time

Steven Byers

Journey developed something that on the face of it is beautifully simple to use, but which facilitates a very complex set of processes. In my experience of working with digital partners, their ability to truly get under the hood of a challenge and find a solution to it is unparalled”