Biophone

[Summit]

We call it the Biophone... it's just calling the a dedicated recorded line in the ED with your cell phone.

 

[Akulahawk]

Not bad opening an old thread...

Things certainly have improved a LOT in the tech/radio world since the Biophone was created. It's not unheard of (by far) for your Monitor to be able to do basic monitoring, 12-lead (or more) ECG, NIBP, SpO2, and oh so much more... and relay that info right into your EHR system you use to write your reports as well as have much of that data be sent real-time to the receiving facility.

There's certainly room for improvement, but what's already available is just short of jaw-dropping amazing compared to what was available just 15 years ago! Oh, and the stuff we could do back then was jaw-dropping amazing compared to what Johnny and Roy (and real folks of that era) were doing.

 

[Matthew Lamson]

My department uses iPhones.

Although we do have a talk group on the radio that goes directly to the hospital ED which I like to use pretty often. It helps me channel my inner Johnny Gage.

I wish I could use my phone but "fire department requirment" says that a record "must" be kept of patient care.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I wish I could use my phone but "fire department requirment" says that a record "must" be kept of patient care.

The ED doesn't tape calls?

 

[Matthew Lamson]

The ED doesn't tape calls?

I don't know, but I'm on a rescue squad and they make me use a biophone witch works alright considering its 30 years old but the hospital wants to keep record of patient care. I think we should stop using biophones because they are the worst way of communication to the hospital especially when we work out of the only hospital in Mooresville actually the 3rd hospital in Iredell county and our county only has 3 and the hospital serves ALL OF SOUTH IREDELL COUNTY and the hospital only has 5 treatment rooms and only 2 biophone reseivers.

 

[ggodsoe]

This is a fascinating thread. I found this forum when I was looking up some info on how different modern paramedic practices are from what I saw on Emergency as a kid and from Netflix. My daughter and I have been watching seasons 5 and 6. The first time she saw the biophone she scoffed and pulled out her cell phone. It's hard for a teenager today to believe that the biophone was pretty cutting edge in its day. I'd love to find one for sale and buy it. Of course my wife will ask me why and I won't be able to come up with a better answer than nostalgia. I was thinking of dressing up as Roy or John for a cosplay outfit, but I thought that would be too obscure.

Another thing that she noticed that was different for her was the absence of 911. She asked me how I had to dial for the the police and fire and I told her we had to actually call them. I remember we had stickers next to our Ma Bell rotary phone until 911 was installed. When was 911 installed for LA County? I know this question is OT but I am just curious.

Oh, and what the heck is so special about Ringers? I guess I could look that up on my own but I hoping a SME here can answer that.

Just about every rescue on Emergency goes vitals-biophone-ringers/tko-transport. It seems like a boring recipe it it worked for 6 seasons...

 

[RedAirplane]

I was slightly alarmed to notice that they called the doctor to ask for permission to shock V-Fib in the pilot episode.

Especially because in a later episode it becomes clear that Johnny & Roy know a lot about medicine and when communications fail they just do the same stuff anyway...!?!?!?

 

[Tigger]

My AMR place has an 800 radio in back with a phone handset for a mic, does that count? Also, I don't know how to use it. That's what the portable is for.

The city also maintains the "paramedic hotline" which is one number for all the hospitals, "press one for Memorial Central, press two for..." It's recored and it's nice to have just one number.