July 26, 2007 — In Motion Technology announced that Forsyth County EMS (FCEMS) has seen improvements in pre-hospital care with In Motion’s onBoard Mobile Gateway and onboard Mobility Manager. The EMS organization is now able to monitor the health and location of vehicles and networks remotely, reduce response times and reliably support multiple applications utilizing In Motion’s technology.
FCEMS provides 24 hour-a-day advanced life support and pre-hospital emergency medical care for more than 306,000 residents in a 420 square mile area in North Carolina. The organization responds to more than 33,000 calls annually and serves Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Forsyth Medical Center.
In 1999, FCEMS deployed electronic patient care reporting for their crews, and was transmitting reports from the ambulance while at their quarters using WiFi hotspots. In 2006, they deployed computer aided dispatch (CAD), automated vehicle location (AVL) and had plans to communicate electrocardiogram (ECG) information to hospitals in advance of the patient. The WiFi hotspots were extremely effective at the stations, but when crews were busy their inability to transmit information was affecting quality assurance and billings. They wanted to transmit patient information in real time in order to improve patient care. FCEMS tried to use the county's UHF network to send CAD/AVL information, but the volume of data brought the network "to its knees". The network was also insufficient for the transmission of ePCR or ECG data. What Forsyth needed was a solution that would enable them to communicate patient medical information in real time, and reliably handle new applications when they were ready to deploy. The organization searched for a new network solution and deployed In Motion’s technology.
Since January 2007, FCEMS has implemented CAD/AVL, ePCRs and the transmission of 12-Lead ECGs over Bluetooth using the onBoard Mobile Gateway and are finding it's faster and far more reliable than using cellular modems. Paramedics are now able to access vehicle location data for easier and faster dispatch, reduce response times and expedite the treatment process for patients, especially heart attack patients by transmitting critical data to the hospital in advance.
FCEMS is finding additional applications using In Motion’s technology, as the platform supports new network technologies like 4.9 GHz municipal wireless networks and 700 MHz public safety networks. The organization plans to seamlessly deploy cutting-edge applications including an inventory management system, streaming video from the ambulance to the Emergency Department and driver safety/monitoring applications that will all utilize the onBoard Mobile Gateway.
The In Motion onBoard Mobile Gateway is a cognitive wireless system that turns vehicles into secure local area networks that sense and select the best available wireless network, enabling emergency medical technicians to access and disseminate information from the field. The onBoard Mobility Manager monitors the vehicle location and health of the mobile network, helping public safety organizations improve response times.
For more information: www.inmotiontechnology.com
