Cloud Helps Bridge Gap Between Ambulance, ER, & Post-Discharge Care
By Karla Paris
IDHP focuses on emergency medical services to assure the welfare of its residents.
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is the lead agency responsible for the development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of Iowa's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. IDPH and its Bureau of Emergency and Trauma Services provides funding that enables an effective EMS system, based on National Standards, to assure the safety of all Iowans.
IDPH announced it's bridging the gap for EMS and trauma patients through a partnership with ImageTrend, Inc. and the company's cloud-based software for statewide EMS and Trauma records. The digital records will provide statewide data analysis and reporting, shown to lead to better treatments and patient outcomes.
In 2012, the IDPH reported that nearly 82 percent of its trauma patients were treated and transported by EMS. The report also identifies that response and transport median times were lower than scene times indicating prolonged scene activity. This is where ImageTrend sees its cloud-based software program fitting in with IDPH's goals.
"We are very pleased to partner with our neighboring state of Iowa and their Department of Public Health in providing a centralized EMS and trauma care information system," remarked ImageTrend President Mike McBrady. "The aggregate data allows a better understanding of patient care and outcomes on a statewide basis and that understanding can be used for system-wide improvements."
The solution IDPH is integrating is comprised of several of ImageTrend's products that connect seamlessly. State Bridge will handle the EMS data aggregation using National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) requirements. ImageTrend's Patient Registry will process trauma records from facilities using the Iowa Trauma Patient Data Dictionary, which includes the National Trauma Data Base (NTDB) standards. Combined, the solution will be more than capable of accepting and processing data from the state's 118 trauma care facilities and approximately 440 EMS transport services.
EMS in Iowa has a number of daily challenges. As you can imagine, challenges include rural areas that are largely underfunded and staffed by volunteers to provide quality care to Iowans in need of emergency service. IDPH is continuously looking to advance its trauma system to assure hospitals of all levels are prepared to care for individuals with injuries encountered from any setting.
SOURCE: PRWeb