Category: Data & Analytics
APOT: Why It Matters and How To Cut Down on It
Ambulance Patient Offload Time (APOT) is a new metric introduced in the 2024 ESO EMS Index that measures the duration from when an ambulance arrives at the hospital to the…
Data Café Insights: Injury Severity Scores
For the past several months, the ESO Data Cafe webinar series has given us an inside look at the metrics of the 2023 ESO Trauma Index. Pulling data from the…
Data Café Insights: Occurrence of Hospital Events
By looking at data collected from the world’s largest de-identified trauma registry data program from January to December 2022, the 2023 ESO Trauma Index works to create industry-wide benchmarks and recommendations…
The Transformative Power of Good Data
The EMS industry is bombarded with incredible amounts of information on a regular basis in the form of ePCR reports and dispatch data. While having a large, aggregated patient data…
Data Café Insights: Penetrating Trauma and Shock Index
With access to the world’s largest de-identified medical database, the 2023 ESO Trauma Index looks at data collected from the 596 participating hospitals to establish best practices in important areas….
Data Café Insights: Surgical Repair of Hip Fractures
Aggregating data from the world’s largest de-identified trauma registry data program, the 2023 ESO Trauma Index reflects insights from over 968,538 hospital records from 596 hospital systems between January 1st and…
Data Café Insights: Antibiotic Use for Long Bone Fractures
Providing an in-depth analysis of the current trends and benchmarks in trauma care, the 2023 ESO Trauma Index pulls data from the world’s largest de-identified trauma registry data program to…
Data Café Insights: 2023 ESO Trauma Index Overview
The 2023 ESO Trauma Index offers a detailed analysis of current trends and benchmarks in trauma care, setting a new standard for improvement. Accompanied by the ESO Data Café Webinar…
Recognizing and Removing Disparities in Patient Care
In a perfect world, every patient seeking medical services would be given equal care and treatment regardless of their background. However, in reality, that’s not always the case. Gender, race,…
Keeping an Eye on Lights and Sirens During Transportation
While lights and sirens have always been synonymous with ambulances, there’s been more and more research highlighting their potential risks outweighing their time-saving benefits. Due to this, the National EMS…
2022 ESO Trauma Index: Benchmarks and Focus Questions
Last week, we launched the 2022 ESO Trauma Index – the annual research to facilitate industry conversations, set benchmarks, and compare hospital and trauma systems’ performance with peers. Created from…
Community Risk Reduction: How Data-Driven Is Your Program?
Time to read: 4 minutes 30 seconds In the last 30 years, the number of reported fire deaths declined by nearly 50%. While the U.S. still averages 3,000 home fire…
5 Tips for an Effective QI Project for Your EMS Agency
Quality Improvement projects can make a big impact in your EMS agency operations, helping processes run more efficiently, lightening the load on your providers, and even promoting more positive patient…
The Importance of CT Scans in Traumatic Brain Injuries
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were approximately 61,000 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)-related deaths in the United States in 2019, translating to an average of…
Wearable Health Devices and New Data
Wearable health trackers have become a widely accepted technology integrated into many Americans’ lives. No longer just simple step trackers, today’s wearables can track a wide range of health metrics…
Fire Data: Making the Connection from Output to Outcome
Datapoints and metrics continue to play an important role in the day-to-day function of fire agencies. Outputs are Useful and Important With numerous reporting requirements at national and state levels,…
How to Improve EMS Inventory Management
For EMS agencies, managing assets can not only improve operational efficiencies and budget use, but can also improve mission readiness and outcomes during incidents. Maintaining a more accurate understanding of…
Transitioning from Paper to Electronic Records
If your fire department or EMS agency is still holding on to the old-school, paper-based ways of tracking incidents, equipment checks, supply levels, and even personnel records, the good news…
The Importance of Tracking Exposure in Firefighting
Situational awareness is no longer just for the field. It’s a concept that can also be used after incidents and in down times. Having an understanding of your crew’s physical…
How Data Empower First Responders
In an information-rich age, data are constantly flowing to and from devices, towers, and satellites. While it can seem overwhelming at times, data are a valuable tool in the hands…
Signs and Symptoms of PTSD
The concept of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, or PTSD, is not a new concept today; most of us associate it with combat veterans or someone who has experienced an extreme negative…
3 Things to Know About ISO Inspections for Fire Departments
If you’ve been in the fire industry for any substantial length of time, you’ve undoubtedly heard about Insurance Services Office (ISO) Inspections and their associated rankings. ISO’s Public Protection Classification…
How to Identify (and Win) Fire Department Grants
Fire departments, especially volunteer fire departments, are constantly faced with the challenge of keeping communities safe while staying within budget. Tightening budgets and limited resources require departments to be more…
EMS Data Insights: Rising Opioid Overdose Rates
To first responders on the ground every day, it’s no secret that the United States has – for decades now – been experiencing a healthcare crisis when it comes to…
HIPAA Compliance and Telehealth
In this digital age, keeping personal identification information secure is a priority. Entire industries have been created that focus solely on helping people protect their digital footprint with robust passwords,…
The Importance of STEMI Door-to-Balloon Time
Hospitals and EMS agencies alike have long associated the rate of positive outcomes for certain patients with the rate at which he or she received treatment. And while some of…
EMS Health Data Analytics: How to Improve Analysis
Quality data plays a key role in health care, and drives every decision that a provider makes to improve health outcomes for his or her patient. In the field of…
New 2021 ESO EMS Index Tracks Nationwide EMS Performance
In one of the strangest and most disruptive years in recent American memory, EMS professionals continued to suit up every day and face the COVID-19 pandemic head on. And just…
7 Things You Should Know About Exchanging Data with EMS
You may have heard of data exchanges between EMS and hospitals, but do you know how they work or exactly how they can benefit your hospital ED team? Sharing data…
3 Benefits of Prehospital Alerting Software for ED Teams
In the fast-paced and stressful workflow of an Emergency Department, accurate communication is a valuable commodity. A failure in communication between health care professionals can have results ranging from mild…
How to Choose the Right ePCR for Your EMS Agency
Most modern EMS agencies have seen the value of using electronic patient records, or ePCRs, to increase efficiencies in their procedures, create more accurate records, and make it easier to…
How ePCRs Improve Communication, Care, and EMS Operations
Modern health care is an information-rich endeavor. Along the entire spectrum of care – from prehospital all the way to discharge and follow-up – patient data is critical in helping…
Hospital Core Measures Defined
In an increasingly competitive industry, hospitals can use performance data to stay in compliance with The Joint Commission (TJC) and expedite reimbursements from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)…
Benefits of Cloud-Based EMS
As communication methods for first responders and prehospital health care professionals continue to modernize – and sharing data digitally becomes more critical than ever – many EMS agencies are taking…
5 Reasons NFIRS Data Matters to Your Fire Department
It’s a regular part of the business for fire departments these days: collecting and submitting data to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) regularly. And while NFIRS has its own top 3…
What is NFIRS?
Data is a powerful tool in painting an accurate picture of the U.S. fire industry for creating helpful and necessary legislation, planning budgets, and more. But just like any set…
EMS Data Collection: Tips for Improving Data Quality
Just like any business or industry, EMS agencies benefit from regular assessments, QI/QA projects and accurate reporting that allows benchmarking and easily shared metrics. However, the ability to trust these…
4 Ways to Keep Your Fire Station Organized
A fire department is much more than the image of firefighters running to the fire truck and speeding off to a burning building. While that is, of course, the most…
How EMS Data is Helping Document Emerging COVID-19 Symptoms
As the U.S. continues to wage war on the COVID-19 virus across a wide range of demographic populations, the medical community is beginning to develop a more concrete understanding of…
2020’s Best ePCR Software: How ESO EHR Revolutionizes ePCRs
Digital information is the key to modern life; with the pervasive nature of smart phones and device, the Cloud, and city-wide wireless networks, information is at our finger tips, 24…
What is a Trauma Registry?
For hospitals around the world, data and databases are the keys to improving processes, improving patient outcomes, and better understanding one’s community. While medical professionals have reviewed and analyzed trends…
Changing COVID-19 Age Demographics Illustrated By EMS Data
As the United States braces for what appears to be the anticipated “second wave” of COVID-19 cases, EMS professionals continue to work diligently on the front lines. Now, more than…
PPE Reuse Data: EMS Often Forced to Reuse N-95 Respirators
Of all the changes, adaptions, and extreme circumstances faced by health professionals during the Coronavirus pandemic, one of the more concerning has been the forced reuse of PPE and N95…
3 Data Points You Need in Your Emergency Department
Emergency Departments are often a place of controlled chaos; alarms ringing, people rushing, ambulance crews arriving and leaving. The most serious patients need immediate attention and face life-threatening circumstances where…
What is NEMSIS?
It’s estimated that there are currently more than 21,000 EMS agencies operating in the United States. This is great news for communities since it means that emergency care is most…
Components of CRR: The 5 E’s of Community Risk Reduction
A fire department knows its community probably more intimately than almost any other organization out there. From going inside people’s homes on medical calls, to inspecting new construction, to driving…
What are Sentinel Events? (And How to Reduce Them)
Note: This blog was updated in July 2022 with more current data on number and types of sentinel events. Even in the top-functioning, best-maintained hospital facilities, medical errors can happen….
5 Mistakes to Avoid when Buying a New Fire RMS
For fire departments looking to improve efficiencies and get more use out of their own data, a digital fire records management system (RMS) can make getting insight into operations easier…
How Can Trauma Registries Leverage EMS Data?
Hospitals and trauma registrars are well-aquatinted with state and regional requirements that require the inclusion of EMS data into trauma registries. However, the collection and representation of this data can…
Spreadsheet vs. Software: What’s Best for Asset Management?
If you’ve spent any significant amount of time working in a fire department, you’re well-familiar with an important (but sometimes tedious) job of asset management. Hours spent meticulously doing checks…
Using the ESO EMS Index to Put Data into Practice
If you’ve ever wondered how your agency compares to its peers – or about trends in the EMS industry as a whole – the ESO EMS Index gives you answers….
How Analytics Help EMS Agencies Make Better Decisions
Whether your EMS agency is working to develop your next QI project or need a quick overview of all the agencies in your system, real-world data is key in making…
How to Share Your EMS & Fire Story with Data
Large-scale change and legislation are important in driving improvements in the fire and EMS industry. However, a key component of making change happen is in the ability of fire departments…
Identifying EMS Data Trends to Improve Patient Safety
From an industry-level view, down to your own agency datapoints, the ability to use real-world EMS data to make improvements in your agency is invaluable. Learn how data collected in…
How Software Helps Firefighters & EMS Work Smarter Together
Better communication between healthcare providers and first responders along the spectrum of care – both prehospital and hospital– can have real benefits for patients, communities, and agencies. Learn how ePCR,…
Dream Team: Who Should Help Select Your Next ePCR?
Purchasing a new electronic patient care record (ePCR) tool can be an investment for your agency on many levels. Besides the initial cost of purchase and training, you’ll use this…
5 Signs You Need a New ePCR
Since the migration to electronic patient care records (ePCRs) in the late 2010s, software has become an increasingly important part of the daily experience for a medic. We all use…
Creating Quality Improvement in Your EMS Agency
Having access to high-quality data is imperative to creating effective quality improvement projects. See how ESO tools simplify your data gathering and allow you to focus on the changes you…
5 Tips for Planning Your Fire Department’s Budget
Fire departments across the country are feeling the squeeze of tighter budgets and making do with less. Sometimes pitching your budgetary needs can feel like going into battle, but it…
3 Time-Saving Tips for Trauma Registrars
A trauma registrar’s job is full of data points, attention to detail, and – unfortunately – hours often spent making follow up emails and calls to track down missing information….
What is the Cost of a Fire RMS?
More and more fire departments are today moving towards using automated, fire-specific record management systems (RMS) to maintain operations data for their stations. From employee HR records and scheduling to…
Amplify Your CRR Efforts in 3 Steps
An effective community risk reduction (CRR) program can be a powerful tool for a fire department looking to improve the overall safety of its community. Whether you are installing fire…
Can Hospitals Share COVID-19 Data with EMS? Yes!
As healthcare professionals and administrators continue to adapt to working in COVID-era conditions – caring for patients while also taking extra steps to keep their providers safe – many hospitals…
Starting a Community Outreach Program in Fire & EMS
Every year, EMS and fire departments host a variety of outreach efforts, also known as community risk reduction (CRR) programs, to improve their communities’ health and safety proactively. From school…
Unlock Your Fire Data Story
Fire departments are increasingly being asked to share data that offers greater insight into what they do on a daily basis, as well as the value they bring to their…
Why You Need Cloud-based Software
Transcript: Hello, my name is Bill Gardner. I’m a retired fire chief with 35 years experience in public safety, both fire and EMS. One of the most difficult…
Why Hospitals Need EMS Data During COVID-19
While some hospitals across the nation are slowly recovering from the massive first wave of COVID-19 cases – and others are gearing up to battle the growing second wave –…
3 Must-Have ePCR Integrations
Digital patient records – also known as electronic patient care records or ePCRs – offer countless benefits in prehospital care. From built-in analytics, easier-to-complete forms, and less paperwork post-call, ePCR…
Fire RMS Basics: Software That Benefits Fire Departments
Today’s fire departments are increasingly facing the blessing and the curse of large amounts of data. From incident reports and inspections to personnel information and electronic patient care records (ePCRs),…
Webinar: How to Select Your New ePCR
As department’s needs change, compliance requirements evolve, and technologies mature, EMS leaders have a responsibility to ensure their patient record solution is up to snuff. Whether making the big leap…
ESO Releases Next-Gen Version of ESO Fire Software Suite
Built on decades of service to the fire industry and a wide network of industry professionals and partners, ESO recently released the newest version of its fire-specific record management system…
4 Types of Data Every Fire Department Should Be Collecting
Today’s fire industry continues to evolve to better incorporate a wide range of data available from both incident response and department operations. Going beyond the reactive mode of simply responding…
Better Care & Easier Reporting with EMS & Fire Software
Gone are the days of recording patient feedback with paper and pencil, and spending hours compiling reports from different systems. Integrated software – designed to address the numerous inputs from…
Better Patient Care with ESO Alerting & HDE
Reduce barriers of communication between prehospital and hospital care with tools that deliver valuable patient data in real time, from the scene. Seamless and bidirectional sharing of patient information not…
What Firefighters Want from Technology
A recent study of the global fire service is indicating that agencies across the world are experiencing a paradigm shift in not only how they are currently use data, but…
Two New Grants Help Fire Agencies Amid the COVID-19 Battle
EMS agencies and first responders continue to fight COVID-19 on the frontlines in a health emergency unprecedented in recent history. And while health care professionals face the most immediate risks…
Preplan Today, Protect Tomorrow
Data is everywhere on the fire field and information is constantly being recorded and shared. Whether it is new “smart” PPE that can monitor hazardous chemicals in the air, trucks…
Fire Trends Report: Number of EMS calls vs. Fire Calls
As an industry leader in fire, pre-hospital, and hospital industries, ESO encounters a wealth of data from its clients and partners. Each year, fire data is collected and analyzed to…
Fire Trends 2019 Report: Most Common Types of Fire Calls
You most likely know what the most common types of calls your fire agency receives on a regular basis; much of it depends on your communities and their particular characteristics….
‘DOCUMENT’ to Improve Run Reports for Your EMS Agency
Accurate documentation for EMS agencies is key to success both in the field, and in the office. Not only does it improve patient outcomes, it also provides accurate claims processing,…
Women and Minority Groups Remain Underrepresented in EMS
Talk of “workplace diversity” is nothing new across many industries. But when it comes to healthcare and emergency medicine, creating a workforce that reflects the communities being served can help…
Why First Responders Face Increased Risk for PTSD, Suicide
For most Americans, a typical day at the office comes with the usual ups and downs, some stress, difficult clients, perhaps some inner-office politics. For first responders, on the other…
Industry Insight: EMS Rates of Complete Stroke Assessments
At the end of 2018, ESO released its second annual EMS Index, an in-depth report covering key data points and trends in the EMS industry, based on more than 7.58…
4 Reasons Why Your EMS Data is Important to NEMSIS
If you are a part of an EMS agency in any U.S. state – or the majority of U.S. territories – you undoubtedly are aware of the efforts of the…
ESO EHR: The Modern ePCR for EMS
An electronic patient care record (ePCR) is a digital document containing key patient information, assessments, treatments, narrative, and signatures. Before ePCRs arriving on scene, EMS agencies, ambulances, and fire departments…
5 Ways Inspection Makes Fire Response More Efficient
For fire agencies everywhere, inspecting properties within a community is a key role that fulfills not only national, state, and local safety requirements but can actually help increase efficiencies within…
6 Key Data Points Every Fire Department Should Analyze
Data in the fire industry has been a forefront topic in recent years, and for good reason. Tracking and analyzing data, statistics, and trends can be an extremely powerful tool…
More Power with Integrated ePCR & Fire Software
If you’ve ever found yourself painfully re-entering data from a call from one software tool to another, you’ve probably felt the frustration of those duplicated efforts. With numerous other tasks…
Selecting Your Next QI Project: Let the Data Be Your Guide
When it comes to improving the health and safety of our EMS professionals, patients, and communities, we all want to do better. If your EMS agency is like most, there’s…
10 Signs You Need a New Fire RMS
If you work at a fire department you use software every day to document calls, perform checks, run reports and more. Software has become an integral part of the fire…
How One Fire Agency Made the Switch to More Useful Data
For today’s professional EMS and fire agencies, data analysis is a necessary component of daily operating procedures. Not only does it ensure that your agency remains in compliance and can…
Screening Tool Optimizes EMS Mental Health Transports
There are more than 7.4 million mental health–related emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. every year, and of these, approximately 30 percent arrive by ambulance. Unfortunately, due to a…
Fighting PTSD in the Firehouse
They’re heroic and brave and can handle any situation. They run towards danger while others are running away. They enter a fire and emerge with rescued people, animals, property. They…
Take Aim to Create Meaningful Process Improvement
If you’ve ever had a quality improvement project spin its wheels and get nowhere – or put countless hours of effort and work into implementing an intervention just to have…
Battling Rising Readmission Rates for Stroke
It is predicted that an additional 3.4 million U.S. adults will have had a stroke by 2030, a 20.5% increase in prevalence from 2012. With this rising prevalence of strokes,…
The Best Data to Illustrate a Fire Department’s Value
Although firefighters primarily think of people they protect and serve as members of their community, they are, in fact, also customers. And just like any business, it’s important for executives…
Improve EMS Metrics: 3 Crucial Steps
Performance metrics are becoming increasingly important in the health care industry, and EMS agencies are beginning to feel the effect. “Value-based health care” is on the rise and the percentage…
Big Data for Firefighting: 4 Real-World Benefits
You may hear the term “Big Data” thrown around quite a bit these days, in a wide range of applications, from high-tech industries to consumer applications like smart phones, fitness…
Emergency Department Costs, Severity of Cases on the Rise
A recent study is showing that emergency department spending per patient has nearly doubled from 2009 to 2016 – with a marked increase in the number of highest severity ratings…
It’s Coming – The 2018 EMS Index: Mid-Year Update
Earlier this year, we identified a number of trends we believed would have an impact on EMS organizations in 2018. The prevailing theme is data. Or, rather, the need for…