Testing alertness of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) crews – a feasibility study

Method Research was carried out across seven 12-hour day shifts. Background data and in-shift activities were recorded for each crew member to determine if these factors correlated with alertness levels. Data recorded included age, gender, job title, years of experience, hours of sleep pre-shift and number of shifts worked in previous 3 days. In-shift data was recorded at each test, including activities since last test, such as job deployment or kit checking, and whether food and drink had been consumed. Alertness was measured every two hours using two computer based tests; the Stroop Colour Test (SCT), and the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT).