How to Initiate a Consult/Handoff in Pulsara HQ for EMS
Required Setup for Requests:
To access adding a Consult or Handoff option, Outbound relationships must already exist in Pulsara MANAGER between the facility/agency where the patient is and the facility/agency being contacted.
Note: A patient channel must be created before adding a Consult or Handoff request.
To see the Consult or Handoff option, the following must be true:
- At least one Consult or Handoff relationship exists with another facility for the current patient type. For example, if the desire is to Consult a Stroke patient, a Consult relationship for Stroke must exist in Pulsara MANAGER.
Request a Consult
- Click on the Requests icon (two-way arrows) in the lower left of the Patient Details panel.
- Then click on the + Consult button.
Select the organization for the Consult. The menu will only display organizations that are configured in Pulsara MANAGER to receive Consult requests from the current facility for the current patient type.
The Teams available for Consult at the selected facility will appear as a list below. Click on the desired team.
Read the instructions provided by the organization, if applicable.
Click Save when ready.
The new Consult will appear on the Requests card with a timestamp, and the two organizations included in the Consult.
The Consult recipient will receive a notification for the request.
Request a Handoff
In order for the correct EMS team members to be added to the patient care team; they must specify their EMS team members and Unit for each shift. This information can be specified on the EMS Shift screen during login or later by opening the side menu and selecting EMS Shift.
- Click on the Requests icon (two-way arrows) in the lower left of the Patient Details panel.
- Then click on the +Handoff button.
Choose the desired handoff receiving agency from the Destination field menu. Only agencies configured for Handoff for the current patient type will appear as a Handoff destination option.
Choose the desired Unit for Handoff at the selected agency.
Click Save when ready.
The new Handoff will appear on the Request card, and the two organizations included in the Handoff.
The EMS Handoff is automatically accepted because it should have already been approved outside of Pulsara.
The Requests section of the Patient screen will update to reflect the new EMS Agency transporting the patient, and the Handoff button will no longer be visible for the initial agency.
The EMS team that received the patient should then find the patient by name on the patient list and open it. Once the patient is opened, reviewed, and all fields set in the channel’s EMS area, this will automatically turn on alerts for the patient for the receiving organization and unit (this can only be done on a mobile device).
This is an important step for each EMS Team that receives a patient via handoff to ensure the receiving hospital has accurate patient times and the receiving EMS team receives alerts for that patient.
The receiving EMS Agency/Unit is responsible for the patient and can initiate a Consult or Transport as needed to continue the patient care.