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7 Must-Have Features for Early Alerting Systems

  • Posted on October 23, 2018

More and more hospitals are switching to or starting to look at digital early alerting systems to replace radios for communication with EMS. And for good reason. Early alerting systems simplify and streamline communication between EMS and the hospital emergency department.

Since early alerting systems are relatively new, knowing exactly what features to look for can be a little tricky. With that in mind, here are seven features that should be at the top of your list.

  1. HIPAA compliance: First and foremost you need a system that helps you and doesn’t add risk to your hospital or patients. Always ask vendors if their solution is HIPAA compliant.
  2. EHR integration: To help create a complete clinical record, your early alerting system should automatically add pre-hospital data to your hospital-based EHR, such as Epic and Cerner. Doing so allows the ED team to make better decisions, faster, and more accurately.
  3. Photo and video inclusions: A significant advantage to an early alerting system is being able to literally see what patients are coming to your ED. Photos and videos make it easier to identify the severity of cases and begin room preparation for time-sensitive trauma cases such as STEMI and stroke. Seeing a photo of the injury for yourself adds to your understanding in a way that words never can.
  4. One-touch assessments: Receive better information from your EMS partners when they have quick one-touch assessments available to them in the field. When paired with photos and videos, your team will have actionable information to prepare for patients and deliver better care.
  5. Estimated arrival times: Knowing the estimated arrival time of EMS helps you prioritize prep and adjust in real-time if traffic, construction or the like changes plans.
  6. SMS alerts: In a society where our phones never leave our sides, receiving notifications right there ensures you’re always in the loop. This also makes it easier to activate your specialty teams on their phones.
  7. Admin dashboard: To see a holistic view of incoming patients, their arrival times, the personnel assigned and more, a dashboard view is necessary. When you are managing a chaotic emergency department, the simplicity of a dashboard is a welcome tool.

Early Alerting from ESO

ESO offers early alerting through TrackEMS®, a secure communication tool for hospitals and EMS. In the field, EMS professionals use the TrackEMS® app on their Apple device, such as an iPhone, and hospital personnel can access information online through standard browsers. Learn more about how TrackEMS can improve communications and care in your community.

Learn more.

 

TrackEMS® is a trademark of Innovative Communications, LLC used under license by ESO Solutions.

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