New Invention ideas to make our jobs easier

[Shelbyjb]

I am an EMT in training and my instructor led me to this site to collect ideas from any EMTs. My question to all of you is:

If you had all the money you needed and you wanted to create anything to make your job as an EMT easier, what would it be? Please if you can describe in detail as much as possible, it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Fleury14]

Uber and Lyft already have decent apps.

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[NomadicMedic]

Microchip everyone and then provide each EMS unit with a chip scanner that provides access to a database with all patient info, history, meds and billing info instantly available for providers and able to be instantly transferred to any ePCR platform.

Yeah. That's what I want. Let me know when it's available.

 

[WolfmanHarris]

The technology exists already (but not the wherewithal) for standardized, cloud synced medical records. One where the database is used by all providers including pharmacies, family health teams, hospitals and Paramedics to make available and complete, accurate and searchable Pt. record. This would increase the quality of information instantly available as well as decrease the risk of medical errors due to missing information in the chart, allergies not noted, etc. Imagine instant flags for drug interactions even when the patient used multiple pharmacies or an alert for low INR in a elderly hip Fx flagged from their most recent blood work.

 

[STXmedic]

A launcher that fires out taxi vouchers as we drive by would be pretty nice.

 

[MMiz]

I wish we had a staff of Advance Practice Paramedics, social workers, and a dedicated medical director to provide more comprehensive care.

Access to high quality continuing education was lacking. Surely we can do better than telling war stories and watching PowerPoints.

It would have been great to have access to an advanced simulation lab to practice challenging skills in a low stakes environment.

It would be amazing if there were a universal application or suite of applications used to track patient information across a variety of settings (hospital, EMS, urgent care, doctor's office, etc.).

I would have loved to have a backup camera on the rig and one in the patient compartment so I could check on my partner.

A radio system with strong coverage inside buildings would have been helpful.

A progressive equipment replacement program would have been nice.

I've seen powered stretchers, I want a stabilized ambulance stretcher. Far too many close calls.

 

[QRScomplex]

Wireless electrodes for 12leads . It's a QoL thing for me not to have my patients look like Data just exploded on them.


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[DesertMedic66]

Retractable EKG wires. When you pull them out they stay locked in the extended position. When you are done using them they unlock and retract back to prevent them from becoming tangled.

 

[RedAirplane]

A Siri-like artificial intelligence tool that can overhear your conversation with the patient and automatically start filling out the patient care report.

Since I often work semi tough to access areas, something on top of Google maps that would suggest the best way to get an ambulance to our scene.

More big picture... Replace the concept of contracts and exclusive operating areas with a central ambulance request exchange. All companies participate in the exchange in real time. 911 calls are passed to the closest, most appropriate unit to the call. IFT requests can be triaged and assigned to a requested company or any company. Waste and inefficiency is eliminated while the incentive for companies to have units staffed and near key locations increases.

 

[DesertMedic66]

More big picture... Replace the concept of contracts and exclusive operating areas with a central ambulance request exchange. All companies participate in the exchange in real time. 911 calls are passed to the closest, most appropriate unit to the call. IFT requests can be triaged and assigned to a requested company or any company. Waste and inefficiency is eliminated while the incentive for companies to have units staffed and near key locations increases.

Not that simple. What this will cause is ambulance companies only wanting to staff the busy areas that have a good rate of return profit (people that have insurance). So you can very easily end up with 50 ambulances in a wealthy city/region and zero ambulances in the ghetto.

If I transport 20 patients per day from city A where 18 of those patients have health insurance that is going to make me want to focus all my resources on that area to make sure we are always the closest unit.

If I transport 5 patients from city B and only 1 of them has insurance my company just took a major hit making me not want to staff that area due to the area not being profitable.

 

[RedAirplane]

Not that simple. What this will cause is ambulance companies only wanting to staff the busy areas that have a good rate of return profit (people that have insurance). So you can very easily end up with 50 ambulances in a wealthy city/region and zero ambulances in the ghetto.

If I transport 20 patients per day from city A where 18 of those patients have health insurance that is going to make me want to focus all my resources on that area to make sure we are always the closest unit.

If I transport 5 patients from city B and only 1 of them has insurance my company just took a major hit making me not want to staff that area due to the area not being profitable.

Very good point.

 

[IDrago]

A portable hoyer lift that can be stored inside the rig. So when the call comes in at 3am and a lift assist is non-existant you can move that 400lb pt without demolishing your back.

 

[RedAirplane]

Very good point.

Perhaps add in a central insurance collection point.

Let's say an ambulance ride costs $1000. There are ten rides given. The exchange bills all patients but only receives $6000.

Each of the transporting ambulances then gets paid $600. So essentially, the incentive becomes the same to transport any patient. And the unpaid bills are spread equally.