EMS Pre-Hospital Telemedicine Program Launched
By Wendy Grafius, contributing writer
The year-long pilot program offer new opportunities for EMS providers and patients who don’t want – or need – to go to the emergency room.
Allegheny Health Network, based in Pittsburgh, has launched Pennsylvania’s first emergency medical services (EMS) pre-hospital telemedicine program at its Allegheny Valley Hospital location. Implementation of the year-long pilot, which began in March 2014, is expected to aid paramedics and EMTs with decision making, thereby improving patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Using an iPad, EMS providers connect a patient directly to an emergency room physician, who can talk to the patient and observe physical symptoms, as opposed to second-hand reporting of symptoms by the paramedic on the emergency call. “Our hopes are that it will result in a more aggressive treatment plan in the field, direct the patient to the most appropriate hospital based on their condition or injury, and that the final result is that we have higher survival rates,” said Jeff Polana, director of pre-hospital operations at Allegheny Valley Hospital. Upon observing similar technology in use in Britain, Polana helped in the development of the telemedicine program.
“Telemedicine, the use of telecommunications technology to deliver healthcare, is a rapidly growing component of U.S. healthcare,” said Robert J. McCaughan, VP, pre-hospital care services, at Allegheny Health Network. “This exciting innovation in pre-hospital care is just the beginning of how we will be using telemedicine in our health care system in the coming years.”
Months of planning included consultations with A-K Pulser EMS and the PA Department of Health as well as testing of the telecommunications equipment for ease of use, effectiveness, and HIPAA-compliance. The technology investment totaled less than $10,000, which included computers, iPads, paramedic training, and legal clearance.
“The benefits of telemedicine to the patient are innumerable, offering direct in-home access to a physician who can see them and talk to them,” said Richard Gibbons, director of the bureau of emergency medical services, PA Department of Health. “I’m very excited about the potential of this program and glad to see that it is happening in a community hospital such as Allegheny Valley.” Officials at Allegheny Valley are collecting feedback regarding the pilot, information that will be presented to the PA Department of Health in the hopes of having similar programs approved across the state.
Located in Natrona Heights, Allegheny Valley is a 228-bed community hospital which has been serving local residents for over 100 years and is a part of Allegheny Health Network. Additional hospitals in the integrated healthcare system include Allegheny General, Canonsburg, Forbes, Jefferson, Saint Vincent, and West Penn, all located in the greater western PA area.
The network offers industry-leading institutes in cancer, cardiovascular, neuroscience, orthopedic, transplant, and women’s health. Additionally, more than 200 primary- and specialty-care practices offer access to approximately 2,100 physicians in every clinical specialty. Staffed by 17,000 employees and 2,000 volunteers, Allegheny Health Network been named one of the country’s best healthcare providers by U.S. News and World Report and is affiliated with both Temple University School of Medicine and Drexel University College of Medicine.
SOURCE: Allegheny Health Network