body cameras

[Amelia]

I couldnt find any posts about this so I hope Im not repeating...

I wanted to get your guys' opinions on body cameras since there is a social outcry. I know there has been discussion about extra cams in the back: I feel as if this would also be a HIPPA violation, but aside from that, on your person- what are your thoughts?

 

[gotbeerz001]

No. It will create more problems than solutions... On top of the fact that it is likely against agency policy. If the company/agency wants them, they will buy them and provide training.

 

[redundantbassist]

I don't understand what purpose body cams would serve for EMTs.

Honestly, I hate any kind of cameras on scene almost as much as I hate when people misspell HIPAA.

 

[Carlos Danger]

Cameras would not be a HIPAA violation. Hospitals have them everywhere.

 

[Amelia]

I went back and forth on the spelling. I chose....poorly.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I think it would be a great thing for documenting refusals and patient care decisions, similar to a dash cam in a motor vehicle accident. It would also be a great telemedicine tool, if the ED could see the patient or the car crash.

I'm afraid they'd be used to punitively discipline providers.

It could be great protection for competent medics, it would spell disaster for Cowboys or anyone who thinks outside the box.

 

[Smitty213]

The DriveCam system could theoretically be used in some situations where a he said/she said could spell trouble for a crew; however they are also used punitively in too many situations so many crews avoid setting it off or obscure its view out of fear of that.

 

[Amelia]

Thats exactly what I was thinking- social trouble, but also could be good documenting for assaults, refusals, heinous accusations, etc.

 

[Smitty213]

I would support a telemedicine capable camera before I would support the traditional "body cam" though; more providers would get better use out of it. It also limits the obvious issue of who controls body cams, management or the provider, and for what purpose the information is used. I could see management overzealously pursuing minor policy/procedure violations that in reality may have been committed in the patient/publics best interest and vice-versa, providers editing out parts that could put them in the wrong. So really, nobody wins.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Honestly, I'd be fine with a body camera. I've got nothing to hide, with either my patient care or my conduct.

I can see it helping, both in documentation and in skills assessment. If a medic constantly fails intubation or IV placement, the body camera footage could provide valuable information to determine the area of skill degradation.

A fantastic training aid for assessing newly implemented protocols or procedures. (Pit crew CPR anyone?)

It would be invaluable for those instances when there's a complaint about a provider's conduct or interaction on scene.

As long as management wasn't combing through random footage, looking to hang someone out, it can only help fine tune a system's performavce.

 

[Amelia]

I think its an even balance. Whats best for your pt and you (ie protection) vs. misuse and manipulation potential on the other side.

 

[Underoath87]

It wouldn't be so bad, so long as the cameras were only to be active during patient contact (i.e. they turn on automatically when dispatch marks you "on scene" and turn off after you transfer patient care).

 

[Smitty213]

It wouldn't be so bad, so long as the cameras were only to be active during patient contact (i.e. they turn on automatically when dispatch marks you "on scene" and turn off after you transfer patient care).

And access was allowed to QA/QI staff; that way a provider with halfway acceptable editing skills couldn't edit a call for his/her benefit and the focus would be on our care/conduct with patients, which is the most important part.

 

[Uclabruin103]

My old service had them facing out the front to tape driving. Can save your butt if you're not at fault. And I've read one article where it did save the crew.

I hate the people who hate those who spell hipaa wrong. Seeiously? High horses have a long way down my friend.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Drive Cams and Road Safety have done a lot to improve driving and reduce insurance rates for service providers. Road Safety especially.

As for HIPAA, if you can't correctly spell the acronym, you certainly shouldn't be talking about it like you have any clue as to what it means.

 

[Flying]

I'm all for cameras if the footage is properly managed and stored, which is the crux of the issue.

 

[cruiseforever]

Drive Cams and Road Safety have done a lot to improve driving and reduce insurance rates for service providers. Road Safety especially.

As for HIPAA, if you can't correctly spell the acronym, you certainly shouldn't be talking about it like you have any clue as to what it means.

I like Road Safety. The ride in the back has really improved. We used to have Drive Cams, but they were removed. The Drive Cams can covict as easy as they can save your butt.

 

[Tigger]

Our community paramedic has one for when he is the only provider on a call. He then puts it on the sunshade to record the transport of psych patients (who are in a PD style back seat with partitions). Our road safety systems also have a camera for the crew while driving.

I would like to have a camera in back, mostly for protection against patient accusations. I don't see a tremendous amount of clinical utility to using them and am concerned that body cameras might make patients uncomfortable.

 

[Jim37F]

We actually have a camera in the back of our units, feeds into the same screen as the backup camera. To the best of my knowledge that's only place to see it and there is no recording made of it.

 

[chaz90]

We actually have a camera in the back of our units, feeds into the same screen as the backup camera. To the best of my knowledge that's only place to see it and there is no recording made of it.

My old place had these in their trucks. They had no recording capability whatsoever and existed solely so the driver of the Type I ambulance could see what was happening in the back.

Come to think of it, some of the trucks around here have the same thing. I'm just never in the front to notice them.