Patient Tracking
Patient Tracking
In any large-scale disaster with multiple victims, emergency responders use a triage system to evaluate each patient’s injuries, prioritize treatment and provide transport to medical facilities for those who need it. MARCER is coordinating electronic patient tracking system will facilitate that process for emergency responders and hospitals in the region.
MARCER and the Hospital Committee continue to collaborate on strategy to enhance and maintain the triage process which includes standardization of triage tags with bar codes that creates a tracking number for the individual. Then the health care provider (EMS, or Hospitals) utilize these tags, special barcode scanners and wireless communications systems during a mass-casualty incident that can efficiently and accurately track the number of injured, as well as the status and location of each victim.
The data from scanned triage tags is communicated to hospitals through Intermedix, EMSystem, EMTrack which is a real-time communications and resource management system already in use in the region. Hospitals use EMSystem to keep emergency medical services personnel informed on their emergency room status and number of available patient beds. The patient tracking system will alert hospitals to the number of incoming patients and their condition. The system will make it easier for hospitals to help families locate their loved ones in a mass-casualty incident. The region has also developed and interface in partnership with the American Red Cross to share information to assist in family reunification following a disaster.
Patient Tracking Training
Representatives from the RHSCC have worked with our partners in the State of Missouri, as participants in the Patient Tracking Committee. One of the goals for this Committee was to standardize the training process being utilized for Electronic Patient Tracking.
The Committee recognized the need for “on demand” training tools for the end user of the system. The Missouri Hospital Association worked with Intermedix staff to produce the training videos for each of the partners to utilize.
EMTrack staff has completed the initial set of 5 videos over the next few minutes with the following video topics.
