Report From the 32nd Annual Congress of the Japanese Society for Aeromedical Services

Abstract

This paper aims to promote international collaboration among air medical organizations and provide an overview of the Japanese Society for Aeromedical Services (JSAS) Annual Congress. In 2025, the 32nd Annual Congress of the JSAS was held in Numazu City from November 13 to 15 under the theme “Toward a Shared Vision: A New Era in Aeromedical Care.” The congress included 220 presentations and was attended by 980 participants. It remains the only national conference in Japan dedicated exclusively to air medical care. The meeting provided a comprehensive overview of current air medical services and future directions. Key topics included the status of helicopter emergency medical services in Europe, lifesaving cases involving Japan’s doctor-helicopter (DH) system, helicopter underwater escape training, international air medical evacuation, and operations of the US Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Team. Sessions also addressed challenges related to prehospital blood product administration, ventilator requirements, safety management, and aircraft maintenance systems. Additional discussions focused on the standardization of clinical protocols, dispatch criteria, and flight physician education, as well as the development of quality indicators through multidisciplinary collaboration. The program further highlighted nationwide public awareness initiatives, nursing practices in air medical settings, responses to large-scale disasters, activities of related organizations, and international air medical evacuation. We believe that the face-to-face relationships fostered through the JSAS Annual Congress play a vital role in strengthening collaboration among DH teams and other aerospace-related organizations.