EMS Hardware

EMS agencies need reliable equipment for entering data during or after each EMS event.

The following is one section of lessons learned from the NEDARC staff's recent evaluation of five state's EMS data systems.

EMS Data Warehouse

First look at what data policies govern your agency or state. Most states have different policies regarding the hardware, software, and possibly the location of the database.

Another important issue discussed by the interviewees was the importance of having an EMS data system that can be up and running twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. Because EMS runs occur at all times, EMS agencies typically need the data collection system to be constantly available. One state averaged their system being down for fifty hours each year. Agencies still complained about that time being too excessive.

States also looked to new technology. Because technology is continually changing, it is important that the EMS data system is updated at reasonable intervals. The internet did not have a significant impact fifteen years ago, but today it is an integral part of current EMS data systems.

EMS Data Entry Equipment

EMS agencies need reliable equipment for entering data during or after each EMS event.

The hardware choices that agencies made depended on several factors:

• The needs and preferences of the local agencies
• The availability of technology
• Funding
• When the patient care report was completed (in the field, at the hospital, etc.)

The states interviewed employed a variety of methods to accommodate their needs. This equipment ranged from optical character recognition (OCR) technology through tablet PCs.

Also like the data warehouse, technology is ever changing. EMS patient care report systems using Tablet PC features failed in the mid-1900’s. Today a number of software products are successfully using a tablet design.

 

 

rev. 15-Jul-2006