We are inviting submissions for cases to be presented at the Medical Directors’ Forum at the upcoming ITIC Global conference in Athens. Do you have an interesting case which tested your team’s capabilities that you would like to share?
The Medical Directors’ Forum (MDF) has been an integral part of ITIC Global for many years. It brings together Medical Directors from the air ambulance industry, as well as international insurance and assistance companies. The Medical Directors’ Forum offers your organisation the opportunity to review clinically challenging cases with your international peers, particularly those where treatment decisions were controversial. Whatever the outcome, your case could help the industry learn from your team’s experiences.
Led by Dr Bettina Vadera and Dr Alex Veldman, there will be a new format for ITIC Global 2022, which will focus exclusively on one topic – this year, that topic will be:
Aeromedical transport of patients with psychiatric conditions – navigating the fine line between medical intervention with informed consent and kidnapping.
The new format will include a short presentation by a specialised professional in line with the theme, followed by three to four thematic cases presented by the companies performing these medical transport missions. All presenters will become co-authors of a position paper that will subsequently be published in ITIJ. In addition to the case presentations, a legal expert will join the forum to shed some light on the judicial framework of such missions.
How to participate in the ITIC Global 2022 Medical Directors’ Forum
Register for ITIC Global to participate in the Medical Directors’ Forum and connect with international colleagues and share insights from across all sectors of the travel insurance industry.
Submission guidance
If you would like to share a case for discussion at the Medical Directors Forum, please submit a short abstract (15 slides or 750 words max.) of an interesting mission you’ve completed, by Monday 19 September. We are specifically seeking case studies from air ambulance operators and medical escort companies performing repatriations onboard commercial airlines to highlight the complete spectrum of these complex issues.
All submissions will be considered for relevance to the topic, and participation will be determined by Dr Vadera and Dr Veldman. Presenters will be informed of their place by Friday 30 September.
Chairing the Medical Directors’ Forum at ITIC Global 2022
Dr Bettina Vadera – Chief Medical Advisor, AMREF Flying Doctors
Specialised in Emergency Medicine and Tropical Medicine from Germany, Dr.Bettina Vadera joined AMREF Flying Doctors (AFD) in Nairobi, Kenya, where she worked for 21 years as a Flight Physician, Medical Director and later Chief Executive Officer. Under her leadership, the organisation moved from a programme within the humanitarian Health Organisation Amref Health Africa (AHA) to a successful, widely respected air ambulance company that owns a fleet of dedicated air ambulance aircraft and provides high level regional and intercontinental aeromedical patient transport.
Bettina moved to Berlin, Germany in July 2020 where she continues to support AMREF Flying Doctors as Chief Medical Advisor. She is also an auditor for EURAMI.
Dr Alex Veldman – Medical Director, Jet Call
Prof. Dr. med. Alex Veldman, MD, Bac. Phil. Alex obtained his MD from the J.W. Goethe University and a Baccalaureat in Philosophy from the St. Georgen University, both in Frankfurt, Germany. He trained in Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology in the University Hospitals Frankfurt and Giessen. He worked for several years in the Monash Medical Center in Melbourne Australia and gained valuable Leadership Experience as Therapeutic Area Head in Clinical R&D of a large Pharmaceutical Company. Apart from leading Jetcall as Medical Director, Alex is currently Head of the Department of Pediatrics at the HSK Helios Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany and holding Professorship at the Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. He has published more than 75 papers on the topics of critical care, pediatrics and air ambulance transportation in international, peer reviewed medical journals that received > 900 citations.