Bayhealth's emergency and trauma services partnered with local emergency medical services teams to use a new secure, HIPAA-compliant communication technology.
Five things to know:
1. The Dover, Del.-based health system and its partners are using Twiage, an app that replaces phone and radio calls between the EMS and hospital before patients arrive at the hospital.
2. All emergency department staff members now receive the patient's information, including their name and vitals as well as their condition, in one correspondence. The EMS teams can also send EKGs, photos and 30-second videos while en route to the hospital.
3. The communication between EMS and the ED expedites care and allowed ED workers to prepare an isolation room if needed. When the patient is at the ED, their medical information is deleted from Twiage.
4. The app has a GPS locator, which allows the ED to track the EMS team in real time.
5. Twiage can be used on smartphones, laptops and computers.