Q&A: How Technology is Shaping the Future of EMS [2018 EMS Trend Report Part 4]

EDITOR'S NOTE: Last month, EMS1, Fitch & Associates, and the National EMS Management Association released their third annual EMS Trend Report, proudly sponsored by Pulsara. Because the articles and advice found within contain such critical subject matter, we've elected to publish each segment one at a time here on our blog. Read, enjoy, share, and take to heart the following information brought to you by the most prestigious thought leaders in EMS. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Greg Friese, MS, NRP, is Editor-in-Chief of EMS1.com. He is an educator, author, paramedic, and marathon runner. Ask questions or submit tip ideas to Greg by emailing him at greg.friese@ems1.com.

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New tools and systems are making it easier to share data for better communication and improved patient care.

Greg Friese, EMS1 editor-in-chief, sat down with Kris Kaull to learn more about the impact of new tools and innovations on EMS. As a communication technologist, Kaull, a co-founder of EMS1.com and Chief Marketing Officer of Pulsara, shares his thoughts on technology and its current and future impacts on EMS.

Q: WHAT ROLE DOES TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN THE DELIVERY OF PREHOSPITAL AND EMERGENCY CARE TODAY?

A: A better question is, “Is there an example where technology isn’t playing a role?”

Over the past decade I’ve seen, used and reviewed hundreds of gadgets for public safety. Many of them were fun. Some were clever. But rarely have I seen EMS “technology” actually work to the advantage of the clinician. More often, the innovation benefits the rest of the continuum – billing, quality, administration, management, etc.

From a clinical point of view, technologies that work for patient care must be frictionless, and they should simplify the workload. As an example, the use of mobile technology in our daily lives has fundamentally changed how we operate. More importantly, it’s seamless. Technology must be both simple and add great benefit. This is a lesson that can be applied to EMS.

Q: HOW HAVE DEVELOPMENTS IN MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IMPACTED EMS, AND HOW WILL THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY EXPAND OR CHANGE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT RECENT MOBILE TECH DEVELOPMENTS?

A: As mobile technology evolves, so does its influence in medicine. Remember all those “emergency care guides” that were used to reference medications? Now, medics dynamically queue multiple medications and can instantly review the polypharmacy effects and how they may be affecting the patient.

On top of being a resource, mobile technology connects people together in real time. In healthcare, it’s no longer about big bulky machines and proprietary equipment. It’s about the platform that connects the right people at the right time for the right patient. How the clinicians communicate is at their discretion. The healthcare practitioner should be able to choose who, how and when they communicate so that it fits their workflow.

In the near future, I see many big players in the healthcare arena being toppled by innovators who combine the power of mobile communication, cloud computing and a scalable platform mindset. The power of owning decisions will always win over the fanciest and biggest and prettiest software.

Q: EMS IS WORKING TO BECOME MORE INTEGRATED WITH HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS OVERALL. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT, AND WHAT ROLE DOES TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN THIS INTEGRATION?

A: Integrating between systems should be at the forefront. How does integrating disparate technologies help the clinician or the patient? That’s the question we should be answering.

Imagine a health record that covers the patient from birth to death. From their mobile phone, the patient can view all their health information – from immunizations and yearly doctor’s visits to that broken leg and prescriptions.

Now, imagine from the clinician’s viewpoint. The paramedic responds and doesn’t have to complete patient demographics or prior medical history. Instead, it’s about the Internet of Things, where everything – ambulance mileage, heart monitor, vital signs, labs, location pinning – is completely synced and written to the patient’s health biography.

The data moves into their record seamlessly. Instead of spending wasted time duplicating data and possibly introducing error, the medic is now focused on crafting a clear note on why they provided the care they did. That information, coupled with the passive data, saves time and is fundamentally more helpful. That’s smart data integration.

Q: HOW IS MOBILE TECHNOLOGY HELPING SMALL, ESPECIALLY RURAL, SERVICES KEEP UP WITH LARGER, MORE URBAN SERVICES? OR IS IT WIDENING A GULF OF DISPARITY?

A: Small- to medium-sized departments are regularly looking for solutions that will help them stay efficient and resourced to do their job. Mobile technology levels the playing field and possibly eliminates that disparity.

In larger, urban areas, many times the IT department is limited in resources and reactive in nature because of the high volume of tech support needs. They simply do not have the bandwidth to research, present and implement new technologies.

Implementing new technology is a major undertaking that has effects on the current workload, training costs and behavior. Technology is 80 percent people, 15 percent process and 5 percent tech. The larger the department, the greater the challenge in culture and change management.

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES AS A TECH PROVIDER FOR EMS? WHAT INNOVATIONS OR IMPROVEMENTS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN EMS TECHNOLOGY BY 2020?

A: In EMS, there is a calculated and systematic progression in adoption of technology. None of this happens quickly. While I don’t see one pinnacle technology rising to the top, I am seeing more and more smart devices enter the market. I do not foresee any earth-shattering innovation or improvements 2018 EMS Trend Report 24 that will fundamentally change EMS by 2020, because it’s about people.

Healthcare is a broken system that has historically isolated teams of practitioners. To communicate across these silos, we need a system that crosses healthcare entities so all teams are integrated and sharing information. In addition, organizations need to be incentivized to treat the patient holistically instead of using a fee-for-service model. That’s such a great challenge, we’re beginning to see players like Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan innovate in this space.

We are on the cusp of a new paradigm. We’re starting to see some amazing technologies blossom. I see passive data collection, platform-based technologies, blockchain infrastructure, artificial intelligence, drones and robotics, smart devices all converging.

We should be using our expertise as EMS leaders to bring the best innovations into our industry. I look forward to the day that we apply technology to EMS for both the clinician and the patient, not because it’s neat or cool, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Check out the full Trend Report right here.