| With the Federal Governments push for all patient | | | | is the paper-based patient care report (PCR). This |
| medical records to be electronic by 2014 looming, EMS | | | | documentation is often incomplete at the time of |
| companies like Emergency Medical Transport are | | | | transfer of care to the emergency department. Also, |
| turning to the Panasonic Toughbook for its ability to run | | | | EMTs need to enter the same information in several |
| Electronic Patient Care Record (ePCR) software, | | | | places to satisfy the requirements of all entities |
| wireless readiness as well as its capability to stand up | | | | involved in EMS care and public health. An Electronic |
| to extreme conditions in the field. | | | | Patient Care Record will ensure better availability of |
| When dealing with real life emergencies the last thing | | | | the information and help redundancy in data entry.” |
| you need is for your equipment to fail. | | | | Mr. Soplata agrees. “[The Panasonic Toughbook |
| “A regular laptop just won’t make it in the | | | | and ePCR software] allow you far better |
| EMS field. There is no way in the world,” Bill Soplata, | | | | documentation of the treatment that has been done to |
| Information Technology Manager at Emergency | | | | a patient so that you can improve service.” |
| Medical Transport said. | | | | In addition to better patient care the Toughbooks |
| Emergency Medical Technicians must strive for | | | | combined with ePCR software and wireless capability |
| maximum efficiency while meeting the demands of | | | | also aid in the billing process. |
| those who depend on them. There is no room for | | | | “[The Toughbook CF-19] gives the billing department |
| downtime when trying to save lives. Panasonic | | | | the ability to look at a run that has been completed in a |
| Toughbooks are built with such a high degree of | | | | matter of minutes of it being finished. It goes over |
| ruggedness even the worst mishaps do not slow them | | | | electronically using the ePCR software.” Mr. Soplata |
| down. | | | | said. |
| “I had a group go out with a Toughbook and they | | | | A report done by Brigham and Women’s Hospital |
| put the tablet under the head of the gurney. | | | | in Boston, Massachusetts, estimated it achieved net |
| Underneath that head is a plunger. They put the head | | | | savings of $5 million to $10 million per year following |
| down on top of the Toughbook and put a hole in the | | | | installation physician order entry system that reduced |
| metal case. That tablet worked for an addition four | | | | serious medication errors by 55 percent. |
| months after that with a hole you could see in the | | | | Companies like Emergency Medical Transport are |
| metal casing,” Mr. Soplata said. | | | | hoping their use of the Toughbooks and ePCR |
| According to a study done by the Health Informatics | | | | software help them see savings as well. |
| Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, | | | | “The tablet if used properly allows you quicker turn |
| “The current standard for documentation of care | | | | around on your funds. With billing that is number |
| by the emergency medical services (EMS) personnel | | | | one.” Mr. Soplata said. |