Guilford County EMS Case Study
Harnessing the Power of Data to Improve Reporting Processes and Outcomes
Executive summary
Guilford County EMS wanted to put its ePCR, ESO Electronic Health Record (EHR), to work improving reporting processes and outcomes across the agency. Performance metrics, time saved on reporting, and real improvements in care were the priorities. Pairing EHR with ESO Analytics, the agency changed three core programs: closer adherence to its stroke protocol, connecting patients using opioids to rehabilitation facilities, and identifying and supporting personnel exposed to traumatic events.
Quick stats
Located in North Carolina · FY19
Understanding a data-capable ePCR
Guilford County covers 658 square miles and runs about 77,000 calls per year. Like every EMS agency, the team wants the care it provides to lead to positive patient outcomes. Getting there meant turning the EHR data they already collected into programs they could act on.
David Moran, Guilford EMS Management Consultant, took on the question of how to make better use of that data. With more than 35 years in EMS as a field trainer, captain, shift commander, and operations manager, Moran knew actionable data could move agency-wide performance.
“ESO’s reporting features allows us to get a lot more details out of patient records than we previously could. The options are pretty much limitless.”
Harnessing the power of data to improve patient care
One goal was treating stroke cases more efficiently. Using reporting built into EHR, Guilford County improved its stroke protocol adherence rate by 21% from 2017 to 2018. Paramedics are now better prepared to identify complicated stroke cases.
Moran also uses tools like the ESO EMS Index to compare Guilford County performance against agencies across the United States. As he puts it, the agency now has a way to track its performance against the nation.
“The data we capture helps us plan better education and operational updates. Medics want to see how the data impacts what they do.”
Guilford County EMS performance compared with the ESO national average
| Measure | GCEMS 2017 | GCEMS 2018 | GCEMS change | ESO 2017 | ESO 2018 | ESO change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete documented stroke assessment | 54.00% | 75.00% | 38.9% | 50.50% | 65.00% | 28.71% |
| Aspirin administration, chest pain | 75.00% | 82.00% | 7.00% | 55.30% | 52.00% | -5.97% |
| 12-lead ECG use | 98.00% | 98.00% | 0.00% | 75.90% | 77.00% | 1.45% |
| EtCO2 use documentation rate | 98.00% | 100.00% | 2.00% | 94.50% | 96.00% | 1.50% |
| Overdose rate of total responses | 1.83% | 1.82% | 0.01% | 1.65% | 1.65% | 0.00% |
Community and crew support
Using heatmaps to track opioid overdoses
EHR helped Guilford County and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro identify community members who had overdosed on opioids and might be good candidates for a rehabilitation program. Through that partnership, the two organizations have made 252 referrals since 2018.
Supporting medics after high-stress procedures
Guilford County set up alerts that go directly to its medical director after low-frequency, high-stress procedures. Alongside supporting quality assurance protocols, those alerts surface situations likely to raise stress levels for staff, so the agency can direct the right resources to team members afterward and bring down stress agency-wide.
Moran points to ESO vision as a key reason Guilford County EMS chose, and stayed with, ESO, along with the time-saving capabilities added to the platform over the years. Taken together, those features give the team the ability to improve patient care. As Moran puts it: “This is what matters most.”
