Title :
Lights, sirens, and computers: how pen-based computing is changing the way emergency care is conducted and communicated
Author_Institution :
Inst. of Tech. & Sci. Commun., James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA, USA
Abstract :
Mobile electronic data collection devices have changed the way emergency medical service (EMS) professionals care for patients and document their actions. In response to problems with paper-based documentation, many EMS agencies have increased the level of patient care they deliver while increasing revenues by using pen-based computers. Using pen-based computers in the field, EMS personnel document care, assess patient records, review treatment protocols, connect to diagnostic equipment, and link to a wide-area communication network. Using such technology, EMS is also in the process of creating uniform databases ideal for researching prehospital care practices and patient outcomes. Going paperless, thus, has enabled the EMS profession to gain recognition and autonomy on a par with other health care professions
Keywords :
biomedical communication; emergency services; medical computing; medical information systems; microcomputer applications; notebook computers; patient care; patient treatment; diagnostic equipment connection; emergency care communication; emergency medical service professionals; health care documentation; mobile electronic data collection devices; patient care; patient outcomes; patient record assessment; pen-based computers; prehospital care practices; treatment protocol review; uniform databases; wide-area communication network; Biomedical optical imaging; Databases; Hospitals; Medical diagnostic imaging; Medical services; Medical treatment; Optical computing; Optical recording; Protocols; Satellites;
Conference_Titel :
Professional Communication Conference, 1999. IPCC 99. Communication Jazz: Improvising the New International Communication Culture. Proceedings. 1999 IEEE International
Conference_Location :
New Orleans, LA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5709-4
DOI :
10.1109/IPCC.1999.799099