Team Pulsara

The key is to remember that kids get sick differently than adults and that physical findings may be more subtle

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally appeared on EMS1.com. Special thanks to our guest author, Jonathan Lee, for EMS1 BrandFocus.

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I have been fortunate during my career to be able to specialize in pediatrics, which has given me a unique perspective. It is pretty common to hear paramedics say that kids are difficult, but the truth is, kids are just different. When it comes to trauma, the basics are all the same: ABCs, bleeding control, and rapid transport. There are a few things that I do differently with children than when managing adults, and I am certain these can make things better for both you and your patient.

Weslaco EMS and Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco, Texas have adopted Pulsara to facilitate better communication between paramedics in the field and hospital staff, helping doctors more effectively treat patients after they arrive in the emergency room. Clinicians are using the Pulsara platform to share detailed information about a patient's condition.

Editor's Note: On August 1st, 2022, EMS1, Fitch & Associates, and the National EMS Management Association released their fifth annual EMS Trend Report, proudly sponsored by Pulsara. Because the articles and advice found within contain such critical subject matter, we've elected to publish each segment one at a time here on our blog. Read, enjoy, share, and take to heart the following information brought to you by the most prestigious thought leaders in EMS. Today's entry is written by Kerri Hatt, Editor-in-Chief of EMS1.

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Proven recruitment and retention strategies: Readers sound off on what’s attracting new talent and keeping members satisfied

Our goal with the EMS Trend Survey and Report is not just to identify areas of change, growth, and stagnation, but to also source solutions to shared challenges. Nearly all (97%) of the 3,000- plus respondents to the 2022 EMS Trend Survey reported some level of difficulty with recruitment and retention. We asked readers to share their innovative ideas to improve recruitment and retention, and any creative practices that are proving successful to improve staffing. We received thousands of comments, from those in services with above-average compensation and a track record of adequate staffing, to those whose organizations had recently implemented a change and were fully staffed for the first time in years.

Editor's Update: The ET3 program is mentioned in the below report. Please note that, as reported by JEMS.com on 6/28/23, the federal government is ending the ET3 program. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “This decision does not affect Model Participants’ participation in the Model through December 31, 2023.” Read the full article on JEMS for more details: ET3 Program Comes to an Abrupt End. Be advised that Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Community Paramedicine are separate initiatives and are unaffected by the ET3 program termination.

Editor's Note: On August 1st, 2022, EMS1, Fitch & Associates, and the National EMS Management Association released their fifth annual EMS Trend Report, proudly sponsored by Pulsara. Because the articles and advice found within contain such critical subject matter, we've elected to publish each segment one at a time here on our blog. Read, enjoy, share, and take to heart the following information brought to you by the most prestigious thought leaders in EMS. Today's entry is written by Jay Fitch, PhD, founding partner at Fitch & Associates. 

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Will EMS Matter in The Future of Healthcare?

History teaches that if a profession doesn’t innovate, it loses relevancy.

In the 1950s and ’60s, railroads were the primary way people, goods, and services moved throughout America. Resistance to change and outdated work rules (e.g., requiring multiple conductors, even on freight trains without passengers) led to alternative transportation approaches and the expansion of air travel and freight. What outdated paradigms are limiting the future of EMS?

All ALS first response and third-party insurers requiring hospital transport for payment top the list.

Australian-based healthcare real-world feasibility study finds improved communication and faster patient care timelines when using Pulsara.

Bozeman, Mont., September 1, 2022 — Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth, communication, and logistics platform that unites healthcare teams and technologies across organizations during dynamic events, announced the publication of the British Medical Journal real-world feasibility study analyzing the effects of Pulsara on care team communication and acute stroke and STEMI patient treatment times. Titled “Real-world, feasibility study to investigate the use of a multidisciplinary app (Pulsara) to improve prehospital communication and timelines for acute stroke/STEMI care,” the study was conducted in Victoria, Australia with pre-hospital and within-hospital clinical teams. As a first-of-its-kind systematic analysis of Pulsara’s efficacy across the whole patient journey for treatment of stroke and STEMI, the study found that utilization of the platform resulted in significant patient treatment time improvements. 

“Implementation of the Pulsara digital communication application resulted in faster metrics of the patient arriving at hospital and being at triage when Pulsara was used, as well as patient off ambulance stretcher times for both stroke and STEMI cases,” reported study authors Chris F. Bladin et al. “Hospital metrics for stroke cases also improved significantly with door-to-first medical review and door-to-CT completed more rapidly.” 

Editor's Note: On August 1st, 2022, EMS1, Fitch & Associates, and the National EMS Management Association released their fifth annual EMS Trend Report, proudly sponsored by Pulsara. Because the articles and advice found within contain such critical subject matter, we've elected to publish each segment one at a time here on our blog. Read, enjoy, share, and take to heart the following information brought to you by the most prestigious thought leaders in EMS. Today's entry is written by Kerri Hatt, Editor-in-Chief of EMS1.

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EMS leaders respond to the 2022 EMS Trend Survey results with concrete steps to improve recruitment, retention, wellness, and safety

The EMS Trend Survey identifies where growth is needed to impact the sustainability and future of the industry. But growth requires a commitment to action.

We’ve asked a group of EMS veterans and up-and-coming leaders to identify areas where change is needed, as indicated by EMS Trend Survey results, and to offer action items for EMS supervisors, managers and chiefs.

By examining your service’s leadership strategies, and taking the steps outlined below, you’re on your way to elevating the safety, engagement and career health of your providers.

Editor's Update: The ET3 program is mentioned in the report below. Please note that, as reported by JEMS.com on 6/28/23, the federal government is ending the ET3 program. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “This decision does not affect Model Participants’ participation in the Model through December 31, 2023.” Read the full article on JEMS for more details: ET3 Program Comes to an Abrupt End. Be advised that Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Community Paramedicine are separate initiatives and are unaffected by the ET3 program termination.

Editor's Note: On August 1st, 2022, EMS1, Fitch & Associates, and the National EMS Management Association released their fifth annual EMS Trend Report, proudly sponsored by Pulsara. Because the articles and advice found within contain such critical subject matter, we've elected to publish each segment one at a time here on our blog. Read, enjoy, share, and take to heart the following information brought to you by the most prestigious thought leaders in EMS. Today's entry is written by Anthony W. Minge, EdD, senior partner at Fitch & Associates.

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Translating data into information, and information into action

Survey questions for the EMS Trend Survey were developed through a collaboration between EMS1, Fitch & Associates and the EMS Survey Team – which was instrumental in collection and interpretation of data. The EMS Trend Survey was conducted online in early 2022. The survey was widely promoted and open to any member of the EMS community. More than 3,200 people responded, the most in the survey’s history. They represent a wide range of service models, certification levels and years of experience, and every region of the nation.

The 2022 EMS Trend Survey results reinforce what many of us see every day. More than two years into the pandemic, it’s still impacting every aspect of our profession – from recruitment and retention, to safety, to how you assess and treat patients.

As we have realized that this pandemic is not just a flash in the pan, but something we may be dealing with for a long time, we have also been able to move forward. Many innovations that departments initially put on hold because of COVID-19 have now been implemented. In other cases, changes wrought by this global health emergency now have uses well beyond COVID patients and may be with us, helping patients and the people who care for them, for years to come.

New functionalities enable healthcare teams to configure their ideal workflows for specific patient case types. 

Bozeman, Mont., August 4, 2022 — Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth, communication, and logistics platform that unites healthcare teams and technologies across organizations during dynamic events, recently released six new patient types that connect distributed teams on a single flexible and scalable platform. From prehospital care to the many in-hospital teams and specialists, the new functionalities unite care teams around each unique patient case, enabling reduced treatment times, improved team collaboration, and streamlined transfers. 

"Pulsara's platform allows flexible interactions in and across any organization, enabling access to the people you need, right when you need them,” said Kate Leatherby, Regional Vice President (U.S. West) at Pulsara. “This capability is truly invaluable for all care teams. For any patient type, care team communication and collaboration are improved—and patient care is invariably improved in the process.”

Pulsara recently released six new patient types—behavioral health, obstetrics, and toxicology/overdose, which were previously reported on, as well as surgical emergency, pulmonary embolism, and shock/ECMO. These new functionalities expand the power of the platform and improve support and care coordination for additional types of patients. Each of these patient types allows clinicians to match their patients with the appropriate care teams and specialized resources through flexible and scalable interactions as the patient case evolves. Clinicians can leverage Pulsara’s telehealth video calling and photo sharing functionality to consult with other clinicians, determine the most appropriate disposition, and guarantee follow-up in the process.

The radio has long been the lifeline for first responders, but new technologies and functions require fire and EMS organizations to think more broadly about how they communicate in the field

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally appeared on FireRescue1.com. Special thanks to our guest author, Robert Avsec, for FireRescue1 BrandFocus.

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For an industry long dependent upon land mobile radios (e.g., mobile units in ambulances and handheld units), there have been many hardware advancements and additions since the days of firefighter/paramedics Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto responding to emergencies and communicating with Rampart General via the telemetry radio in the “orange box.” Putting mobile computer terminals in ambulances was one of those developments, followed by notebook computers and tablets, and more recently, smartphones.

While significant advancements have been made in the communications hardware used by fire and EMS providers, effective and efficient communication is still an issue for responders for a variety of reasons. Many issues can adversely affect communication in the field, especially when it comes to patient care information.

Here, we consider 10 of the most common communication challenges and what fire and EMS leaders can do to address them:

While it’s essential that EMS providers stay on top of core clinical skills for the most critical calls, such as sudden cardiac arrest and airway management, it’s also important to keep up with the skills to address issues you may not see as often. From treating burns to managing pain in pediatric patients to responding to mental health calls, new information on best practices can help you hone your practice. 

In partnership with EMS1, Pulsara is releasing a free eBook collection of popular "10 Things You Need to Know" articles, with recent input from EMS professionals on subjects that can help improve clinical practice and save money for EMS organizations. 

GET THE GUIDE - Closing the Gaps: Plug Holes in Your Skillset and Cracks in Your Budget

Editor's Note: This article was first posted on Becker's Hospital Review. Check out the original version here. 

The past two years have seen fast-paced innovation transform many parts of healthcare systems around the world. While some progress has been made around the interoperability of data systems, many care teams continue to use antiquated technologies to convey crucial patient information to one another, including linear communication tools like pagers, radios, and fax machines. Not only are these tools not connected, but if the chain breaks once, we've negatively affected a patient's outcome—either with a significant delay or in some cases, mistakes that generate more patient harm.

During a featured session at Becker's Hospital Review's Shift to Digital Virtual Event sponsored by Pulsara, Joey Branton, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Pulsara, discussed why bringing broadband connectivity to patient-related communication is crucial to the future of healthcare innovation.

Watch the 30-minute replay below, or read on for the session's four essential takeaways. 

2023 UPDATE: As reported by JEMS.com on 6/28/23, the federal government is ending the ET3 program. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “This decision does not affect Model Participants’ participation in the Model through December 31, 2023.” Read the full article on JEMS for more details: ET3 Program Comes to an Abrupt End. Please be advised that Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Community Paramedicine are separate initiatives unaffected by the ET3 program termination.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally appeared on EMS1.com. Special thanks to our guest author, Cole Zercoe, for EMS1 BrandFocus.

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Here’s how your agency can use telehealth and community paramedicine to deliver more personalized care to patients

Community paramedicine, mobile integrated healthcare and ET3 are rapidly becoming hot topics in EMS as the profession evolves, especially as the long tail of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates issues like ambulance turnaround times.

As ambulance agencies worldwide struggle with long waits at the ED, it’s become even more vital to find solutions to issues like ED overcrowding and long wall times. Community paramedicine, MIH and ET3 possess the unique ability to reduce transports while simultaneously improving care for patients.

Here’s a look at 10 ways EMS agencies can use telehealth and community paramedicine to deliver high-quality care to patients, some of the advantages of implementing such strategies, and how the ET3 model supports this approach.

Pulsara MED OPS™ earns prestigious industry recognition for its impact on healthcare communication during incidents like MCIs, large-scale emergencies, and disasters. 

BOZEMAN, Mont., June 14, 2022 - Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth and communication platform that connects healthcare teams across organizations, announced today that Pulsara MED OPS™ has been named the “Best Healthcare Technology Solution” winner of 2022 as part of the annual SIIA CODiE Awards. The CODiE Awards recognize the companies producing the most innovative business technology products across the country, and around the world.

Acknowledged as the premier awards program for the software and information industries for over 35 years, the SIIA CODiE Awards are produced by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software, education, media, and digital content industries. SIIA announced the full slate of CODiE winners during an online winner announcement on June 8. Pulsara MED OPS™ was honored as one of 46 winners across the 45 business technology categories, including seven leadership categories recognizing outstanding companies, individuals, and teams.

New functionality enables healthcare teams to better support pregnant mothers and newborns via telehealth and improved communication. 

Bozeman, Mont., May 25, 2022 — Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth, communication, and logistics platform that unites healthcare teams and technologies across organizations during dynamic events, recently released a dedicated obstetrics patient type that connects distributed teams on a single flexible and scalable platform—from EMS and standard obstetrics teams to NICU or trauma teams in more critical cases. The new functionality unites care teams around each OB patient case, improving the lives of both patients and caregivers by enabling reduced treatment times, improved team collaboration, and streamlined transfers. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally appeared on FireRescue1.com. Special thanks to our guest author, Linda F. Willing, for FireRescue1 BrandFocus.

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It’s a stressful job, so you need to know how to check in and take care of yourself

Firefighting is a stressful occupation. Working in unpredictable and hazardous environments takes a physical toll. Difficult calls, variable duty schedules, working in close proximity with others who may or may not be personally compatible – all of these things contribute to stress that, if not well managed, can lead to significant issues for both physical and mental health.

In recent years, fire departments have done much better in emphasizing physical health and safety, through such things as improved protocols for use and care of PPE, the mandatory use of seatbelts and requirements for rehab during prolonged incidents. Many fire departments now have regular health screenings for all members and maintain records on long-term health risks like job-related cancers.

Custom patient IDs and wristband scanning will enable seamless response across organizations during stress events.

Bozeman, Mont., April 27, 2022 — Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth, communication, and logistics platform that unites healthcare teams and technologies across organizations during dynamic events, announced today that they are releasing new incident management functionality that will help quickly scale emergency response during mass casualty incidents (MCIs), multiple patient incidents (MPIs), floods, evacuations, and disasters. 

The product’s new incident management capabilities will allow first responders and EMS providers to quickly create or join an existing patient channel by scanning custom armbands (such as public safety-issued bands or traditional triage tags used during a crisis), add patient condition (red, yellow, green, and black) within the app, and give incident command the ability to monitor the number, status, and severity of patients through a patient dashboard.

When responding to mass casualty and multiple patient incidents, emergency responders often use wristbands and/or triage tags to triage patients and visibly denote their condition. Pulsara’s new incident management functionality will allow first responders to scan these wristbands/triage tags and instantly start a new patient channel in Pulsara. Responders — from any organization — who subsequently treat the patient will be able to simply scan the wristband and will instantly be added to the patient’s channel. They will then be able to see all information that has previously been added to the case, including any known demographic information, vitals, any treatments provided, and all communications around the patient. Emergency responders will also be able to add, track, and modify the patient’s triage status in Pulsara, with the appropriate green, yellow, red, and black statuses that match traditional triage tags. 

The newly expanded platform allows healthcare teams to support toxicology and overdose patients via telehealth and improved communication. 

Bozeman, Mont., April 20, 2022 — Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth, communication, and logistics platform that unites healthcare teams and technologies across organizations during dynamic events, recently released a dedicated toxicology and overdose patient type that easily connects everyone required for each patient case—from EMS and hospital teams to the poison center and even behavioral health. 

With this new dedicated functionality, everyone along the patient care continuum can collaborate securely and instantly, avoiding multiple reports and phone calls. Teams can leverage instant messages, live group video and audio calling, images, audio clips, flowchart notes, and template-driven recommendations, all without a single landline phone call. Pulsara puts consultants, toxicologists, and poison centers on the frontlines through the platform’s instant visual communications to identify a venomous snake or mystery pills, assess a strange rash, or even interpret an ECG.

Pulsara even enables first responders to treat in place when appropriate, equipping EMS with direct communication with hospital clinicians, toxicology or overdose specialists, or even behavioral health experts. Such unified communication helps facilitate unnecessary ED visits and saves time and resources for the care system while providing a better experience for the patient. 

How one Arkansas hospital is using healthcare communication technology to dramatically speed up time-to-treatment for STEMI patients

BOZEMAN, Mont., April 4, 2022 — Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth, communication, and logistics platform that unites healthcare teams and technologies across organizations during dynamic events, published new details on Arkansas-based Ouachita County Medical Center’s record improvements in patient care. The Ouachita County Medical Center Case Study reveals the challenges many hospitals face when trying to transfer patients quickly, and the solution they found that enabled faster transfers and streamlined communication across organizations, ensuring secure and efficient patient care.

As a small medical center in rural southern Arkansas, Ouachita County Medical Center (OCMC) faced a lengthy and inefficient process when transferring STEMI patients to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) facilities that could provide critical care. Jennifer Ray, RN, OCMC’s ER and ICU manager, explained that in 2017, the average door-in, door-out (DIDO) time was 72 minutes for the 19 STEMI patients who came into the OCMC ER—more than double what the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association recommends.

APRIL 1st, 2022 — Avid Pulsara customers know that they can depend on Pulsara for all their clinical communication needs. But long shifts and overtime hours can make it difficult to find time for extracurricular communication—particularly of the dating kind. 

We hear you. That's why Pulsara is excited to announce our upcoming version of the Pulsara app: Tindara.