Nevada Electronic Emergency Medical Services: Data system (NEEDS)

Nevada RNformation, Feb 2003 by Heath, Bob, Swinney, Richard

October 15, 2002, begins a new era in pre-hospital data collection in the State of Nevada. Since the inception of the Nevada Office of Emergency Medical Services in 1972-73, data concerning pre-hospital incidents had to be collected via a hand method, making use of what is known in the busiess as "bubble sheets." During the past year a pilot program has been conducted throughout the state, making use of an electronic data collection system. The pilot project, started in January 2002, makes use of Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) technology, computer desktop application, and a web-based data repository developed by MFD Media, Inc. of Harrisburg, Pa. The pilot project was a joint effort of public and private agencies. These agencies included the University of Nevada School of Medicine's Office of Rural Health, the Nevada State Health Division's Emergency Medical Services Office, MED Media, Inc., and 10 rural ambulance agencies. Using the new technology, emergency medical service providers are able to begin collecting incident data, patient condition, and treatment information at the scene making use of electronic software loaded on the PDA. This infomation can then be beamed to a printer at the hopsital where the patient is delivered, then electronically transferred to a desktop computer located at the agencies' home station at the conclusion of the call. The service providers can then review and complete the detailed prehospital care report. This report can be uploaded to a web-based server where the information is stored and compiled along with information from other agencies. Access to the data may be obtained via Internet connection and is controlled using passwords issued by the State Health Division. As of October 1, 2002, over 5,000 individual reports had been uploaded to the server. Fergus Laughridge, Emergency Medical Services Supervisor and the NEEDS program manager, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the program and said the pilot project exceeded the most "optimistic expectations of his office." The detail available on each report far exceeded the old labor intensive "bubble sheet" method. Under this new system, information is available virtually instantaneously as opposed to the old system, which often had months between the incident and the access to data. The success of the pilot program has allowed Nevada to expand the program to all permitted emergency medical services and fire agencies in the state. Utilizing information gained from the pilot project, a "data dictionary" was created and includes all of National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration's data elements. In addition, the system reports the information requested by Trauma Registry and Crash Outcome Data Elements. The program has taken one step further and all data elements have been modified to take into consideration new Nevada specific applications. NEEDS manager, Fergus Laughridge, indicates that a large amount of the program's success is based on the web-based repository developed by MED Media, Inc. The program developed by MED Media, Inc., allows agencies to use a number of different data collection softwares to export data to the repository site. The system developed by this company allows agencies collecting the same data elements to upload critical information even when exactly the same software has not been used. The repository developed by MED Media, Inc., is identified by the initials WEB-CUR. This repository has the ability to collect the aforementioned data and then report it back to the individual agencies and the State Emergency Medical Services office in a format useable for report and development purposes. Even though this system is barely out of the pilot stage, the potential for accurate data based planning is obvious. The next months of continued collection and messaging of data by the agencies and the State's Emergency Medical Services office, are expected to produce a product that will ultimately result in better patient care.

Editor's note: Reprinted from the newsletter of the Nevada State Health Division.