Lufthansa - Doctor on Board perk

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Interesting perk that Lufthansa has.See below.I'm flying to Italy from Denver on Lufthansa as a school Chaperone - I may sign up -- although this link points out some possible downside...     http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/archive/t-1219269.html

....such as -- are you basically " on call " during the flight? Can you drink alcohol if you are designated as an On Board doc? Among other thoughts that docs had.Or how about this doc who tried to bill the airline for caring for a couple emergencies.

http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=7664d9cb-2e5e-4c2a-9ca4-b347396a6f6f

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/archive/t-973458.html

Articles about in-flight medical care - frequency, types of emergencies, etchttp://www.naemsp.org/documents/OralAbstract20.pdf

http://transportmedicine.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/inflightemergenciesandthephysician.pdf

http://www.bmj.com/content/321/7272/1336.short

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1119071/

BMJ. 2000 November 25; 321(7272): 1336–1337.

“Is there a doctor on the aircraft?” Top 10 in-flight medical emergencies

http://jrsm.rsmjournals.com/content/99/12/628.full

In-flight emergencies: playing The Good Samaritan

In a 1991 Federal Aviation Administration study, physician travellers were available in 85% of reported in-flight medical emergencies.20 Indeed, in 1997 one was not available when requested on Virgin Atlantic Airways flights only four times and in 1998 eight times.11 As such, it would seem likely that the airlines' reliance on doctors and the oft heard cry: ‘If there is a doctor on board the aircraft, would they please make themselves known to the cabin crew’ is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, though one can only hope that technological advances such as telemedicine will allow greater assistance from experts on the ground.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra012774

REVIEW ARTICLE

Responding to Medical Events during Commercial Airline Flights

Mark A. Gendreau, M.D., and De, D.O., M.P.H.

N Engl J Med 2002; 346:1067-1073April 4, 2002

http://www.hkcem.com/html/publications/Journal/2003-3/p191-196.pdf

Is there a doctor on-board?: medical liability during in-flight emergencies

F Lateef, CSK Tay, N Nimbkar

Provision of emergency medical care to passengers during flights on commercial aircraft is an issue which

concerns many physicians. As world population ages and air travel increases, the number of medical events

on board aircrafts is also expected to increase. This paper discusses the liability of the physician-passenger

who volunteers and renders care as well as advises the crew, on certain actions. Complex medico-legal

issues will be mentioned and there will be a brief discussion on the in-flight environment and unscheduled

landings. (Hong Kong j.emerg.med. 2003;10:191-196)Anyone aware of US airlines doing this inducement?

On 2nd thought, I may think twice about signing up. Locke, MD====================================http://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/Doctors-on-board

Doctors on board

Faster reaction to medical emergencies on board - how it works

With Lufthansa you are legally covered

Your registration for the doctors programme

Register now as a 'Doctor on board' and help us if on your flights with Lufthansa medical aid is needed. Simply download the registration form, complete it and send it to us with a copy of your medical qualification.

To thank you for your support we will give you 5,000 award miles for your first Lufthansa flight as a ‘doctor on board’ and a copy of the " Handbook of Aviation Medicine and Inflight Medical Emergencies " . 

In addition, we offer you many opportunities for further training:

useful information on the Lufthansa fleet's first-aid equipment

Faster reaction to medical emergencies on board - how it works

When you register, your name and your medical field will be stored at Miles & More so that in a medical emergency the flight attendants can locate you quickly and ask for your help. If several doctors are on board at the same time, a medical council of various fields is possible in serious cases. By that we save valuable time and render speedy help.

When you book flights in future simply give your Miles & More card number as usual. We shall then know that we can rely on your medical support on board.

With Lufthansa you are legally covered

Your legal situation as the doctor treating a patient on board is covered. You are covered personally, within the framework of third-party insurance that Deutsche Lufthansa AG has concluded for such cases, against possible claims of recourse by the passenger you have treated. Intent is of course excluded. This disclaimer of liability applies to doctors and skilled lay assistants.

Your registration for the doctors programme

If your are not yet a Miles & More member, please register yourself first. This will enable you to enjoy the many benefits of Europe's biggest frequent flyer programme. You will immediately receive your Miles & More card number, which you can then enter in your registration form. 

To Miles & More registration

Subsequently, please register for our doctors programme. Download the form, print and complete it, and send it to us via fax together with a copy of your medical qualification.Registration for the doctors programme (PDF, 1.252 KB)

If you do have any questions regarding our programme or the registration please contact us also via phone:+49 - 18 05 - 35 93 62 equivalent to 0180 5 FLYDOC (Mo-Sa from 07:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; 0,14 €/min.)