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Operational Issues: Patient Considerations
The following are patient considerations and classifications that should be used to inform the Patient
Movement Control Center (PMCC) of your patient(s') status.
Patient Classifications/Category: 1 – Psychiatric, 2 – Inpatient Litter, 3 – Ambulatory Inpatient, 4 – Infant,
5 – Outpatient, 6 - Attendant
NOTE: When contacting the PMCC, use the numerical description. Additional patient description/
categorization should not be necessary.
Air Force Patient Movement Precedence: (Joint Pub 4-02.2)
Urgent: Immediate movement to save life, limb or eyesight
Priority: Patients requiring prompt medical care not available locally, used when the medical condition could
deteriorate and the patient cannot wait for routine evacuation, (movement within 24 hours)
Routine: Patient requires medical evacuation, but their condition is not expected to deteriorate significantly
(movement within 72 hours)
NOTE: These differ from the Army and Navy patient movement precedences. Ensure that the PMCC
understands you are with a SOF unit and your request is not an everyday request. Relay any unusual
circumstances or need to send this patient to a particular destination. They will respond accordingly.
Patient Information: You should be prepared to provide the follow information to the PMCC:
Name, Rank, SSN, Organization, Nationality, Date of Departure, Destination, Diagnosis, Special equipment
needed (including oxygen), Special medical considerations, Patient classification
NOTE: The PMCC can assist you in finding an accepting physician if needed.
Patient Preparation/Documentation: Document on one of the following forms, if available:
DD Form 1380 (US Medical Card), DD Form 600 (Chronological Record of Medical Care), DD Form 602
(Patient Evacuation Tag) or AF Form 3899 (AE Patient Record). Any other available clinical documentation
format
It should be noted that there is no intent here to tell you how to take care of your patients. These are simply
some considerations for you. When communicating with the PMCC, have as much of the patient information
readily available as possible. Be brief:
Why the patient is being aeromedically evacuated, i.e., what is clinically/medically wrong with the patient?
Brief synopsis of current history, if known, past significant medical history, including allergies if none, so state,
Current knowledge of patient medications, if known, send documentation, if none, so state.