Mobile Data Terminals

[Niftymedi911]

I'm just curious to see how many agencies are embracing the different types of technology available to road crews.

If you answer the poll, please post any pro's / con's you have. Also, if you know what software your runnning put it here.

[rat115]

I'm thinking that by "mobile data terminals" you're talking laptop computers, tough books, etc.

We have laptops in 2 of our ambulances. We run the ESO software on them. It's a good program, but it's set up for a tough book or a laptop computer with the ability to have someone sign on the computer. I think it's a bit of a PITA when you can't do that and you have to tell the nurses and patients/patients' family to sign "somewhere at the bottom of this page" because there is not a place for them to sign when it's printed.

As for our computers, they really need to be updated. They've been dropped and one has a crack in the case. ESO doesn't like Mcaffee, so it won't download if the firewall isn't set correctly. We have to be careful if we're going out of town on a transfer to open ESO before we leave town or it will sometimes tell us that it can't open and we end up handwritting our report.

[p3medic]

We have them, motorola something or other. It has all the call info that the CAD has in dispatch, allows for access to PD and FD call info, intra agency comm's, CAMEO hazmat data base, etc....Love it.

[JPINFV]

At my old company we had MDTs similar to this:

It displayed essentially the same information that we received on our pagers (we were dispatched primarly by pager with pager and MDT giving us run number, pick up, destination, pickup time, chief complaint. Pager also had patient's name and room number) which made it easier to read than reaching down and getting the pager out. In addition it had the enroute/on scene/transporting/etc already programed in, which helped to cut down on a lot of radio transmissions.

[Richard B the EMT]

The MDT/KDT units used by FDNY EMS Command are not laptops, but are incorporated into the console between the 2 bucket seats in the cab of our type one ambulances. Technically, we are not to start the shift with that vehicle, if the device is not functioning.

We are, via components built into the MDT/KDT radio system, hooked up to a GPS system, but are only at the phase of the dispatch center knowing where the ambulance is at, to "send the nearest appropriate BLS or ALS ambulance and crew".

A phase of improvement supposedly about to be implemented (in what decade of what century?) will give the crews an automatic turn by turn to get to the location of a call, or from the call scene to a hospital the crew is not familiar with.

When we went to the last 2 upgrades of the MDT/KDT terminal models, the idea was that of the paperless call report being generated on the device, but for whatever reason, the department didn't follow through on that idea. We had been using a few varieties of computer/radio MDT/KDT terminals for some years previous to what is now in use.

[FireMedic65]

personally I think they are a great tool everyone should utilize.

Pros: Wonderful for patient info storage so we have a better idea on what we are walking into with them. Up to date mapping. Extensive medical information for anything you can think of. GPS tracking for priority dispatching... closest unit to the 911 emergencies. Alerts on traffic and re-routing to quicker routes to destinations.... the list goes on people.

Cons: Can't think of any.. technology advances are a good thing! Suck it up, pay for it. Learn to use it. Medicine isn't a profession where we should be "set in our ways" or "the old timers don't do it like that".

[wrmedic82]

Our system uses 1 toughbook per truck. We utilize Visinet for routing, tracking, and to gain information from dispatch about each call we run. For documentation we have Lifenet ePCR from physiocontrol. (same guys that make Lifepak)

Pros Visinet: Gives a quicker idea of the location of a call vs using a Mapsco Map. You can track your own movements for more precise routing (depending on who is navigating its not completely idiot proof) You can have it talk you to the call like a personal GPS.

Cons Visinet: Keeping a connection sometimes is a pain in the @%&

Pros Lifenet: Ensures that all pertinent info (demographics, MOI, NOI, ect) is entered to keep from accidental omission of information. The chart will not allow you to finalize a chart unless information that is deemed by the software as critical items are filled in. (example: signatures, demographics, meds, allergies, PHx ect.) Also you can set it up to fax the chart from your truck provided you truck has a built in gateway.

Cons Lifenet: It crashes daily and may make you want to throw your toughbook every now and then.

[JPINFV]

Pros Lifenet: Ensures that all pertinent info (demographics, MOI, NOI, ect) is entered to keep from accidental omission of information. The chart will not allow you to finalize a chart unless information that is deemed by the software as critical items are filled in. (example: signatures, demographics, meds, allergies, PHx ect.) Also you can set it up to fax the chart from your truck provided you truck has a built in gateway.

I never understood how someone could forget to fill in history, allergies, medications, signatures and the like. Either there's something written in the box (even if it's the UNK box marked) or not. Don't providers at least do a once over look at their PCR before turning it in?

Now laziness I can understand. Solution: Until we become professionals with a professional work ethic, I say companies start paying their employees minimum wage with differentials based on doing their job. Let's see how many people "forget" to get a signature when a dollar or two and hour depends on doing paperwork properly.

[wrmedic82]

I never understood how someone could forget to fill in history, allergies, medications, signatures and the like. Either there's something written in the box (even if it's the UNK box marked) or not. Don't providers at least do a once over look at their PCR before turning it in?

Now laziness I can understand. Solution: Until we become professionals with a professional work ethic, I say companies start paying their employees minimum wage with differentials based on doing their job. Let's see how many people "forget" to get a signature when a dollar or two and hour depends on doing paperwork properly.

I fully agree with you. I tend to write a book when I chart. But you would be surprised

[oz_paramedic_chick]

Here in QLD we have Toshiba toughbooks which we do all our patient "paperwork" on.

Pros: If a paramedic has messy handwriting there's no problems, if you can't think if you've missed anything you can just scroll through (for example) symptoms associated with respiratory, you don't have mountains of paperwork

Cons: they can be a little temperemental from time to time and as someone else said make you want to throw the thing, one paramedic pointed out on my shift last night that if she ever had to go to court over a case from the toughbook she doesn't think she'd remember it as well as when they use to write the cases out.

Also, in all metropolitan regions and some regional centres (to the best of my knowledge), every truck has an MDT. So in the Brisbane region our pager goes off, we go out to the truck our MDT will be beeping and we hit on case. The MDT brings up the pt's location, age, sex, what's wrong and in some cases significant medical history (such as CABG). These MDT's continue to update with new signs/symptoms on the way to jobs. Not sure which model we use sorry guy's.

Pros: You have a better idea of what you are being dispatched to

Cons: it get's a bit frustrating when it updates with stupid comments such as "Patient is now crying" (only ever had it once but was like WTF?)