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EMTs treating patient on-site

How to Save $10 Billion Annually with EMS 4.0

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) pilot program was launched to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of patients beyond a hospital’s walls, particularly in ambulances “in the field”, with the goals of delivering health care services more efficiently and reducing unnecessary Emergency Department (ED) visits. The program was designed to align the incentives for EMS services so patients were treated in the care setting that made the most sense, i.e., EMS would be paid for providing mobile health care rather than only after transporting a patient to the ED. Five years later, with Americans more than comfortable receiving care via telemedicine, the health care industry is well-positioned to expand these services on a wider scale as video-enabled EMS 4.0, saving potentially $10 billion annually across the nation.

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EMT examining little girl's leg injury for telemedicine in-home visit

A New Normal? Telemedicine In-Home Visits May Include Primary Care

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Integrating telemedicine into emergency medical services is nothing new, but the focus thus far has revolved around acute cases and specialties such as telestroke. However, in a recently released proof of concept, researchers questioned this trend and applied the model of telemedicine in-home visits to primary care services. This preliminary observatory study suggests that using telemedicine to bring primary care services into the patient’s home may be feasible, effective, and satisfactory for homebound seniors with chronic medical conditions. Read more

EMT first aid bag prior to emergency telemedicine program

Six Tips for Planning Your Emergency Telemedicine Program Smartly

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Five years ago, the Houston Fire Department (HFD) developed the Emergency Telehealth and Navigation (ETHAN) program as a way to respond to every call by providing the appropriate level of health care rather than bringing everyone to the emergency department—without using up resources to transport non-emergency patients. Since its inception, the ETHAN project has picked up a few tips that could prove helpful if your organization is designing, or will design, an emergency telemedicine program. Read more

doctor reaching up to drawn spaceship for space telemedicine

Learning from Space Telemedicine

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As you’ve probably heard lately, July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of humans’ first moon landing via the Apollo 11. Since then, NASA and other space agencies have successfully launched many astronauts and brought them back home safely and in good health. But considering the limited space and resources onboard spacecraft and the International Space Station, how do astronauts handle medical issues? To address this question, NASA developed space telemedicine—one of the earliest adopters of the technology. Some of the key lessons learned from these experiences are proving useful in medical clinics here on terra firma, particularly in resource-constrained environments. Read more