NCT01647854

Operation of a Mobile Telemedicine System in the EMS

Introduction and Operation of a Mobile Telemedicine System to Support Paramedics in the Emergency Medical Service

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 425 (actual)
• Sponsor: RWTH Aachen University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: —
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of the study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of the operation of a prehospital teleconsultation system in the Emergency Medical Service.

Detailed description

Six ambulances from five different Emergency Medical Service (EMS) districts are equipped with a portable telemedicine system. The paramedics can use this system to contact a so called "tele-EMS physician" after consent of the patient is obtained. The tele-EMS physician has an audio-connection to the EMS team and receives vital parameters (e.g., ECG, pulse oximetry, non-invasive blood pressure) in real-time. Also 12-lead-ECGs can be transmitted to the tele-EMS physician. The transmission of still pictures - taken with a smartphone - and video streaming from the inside of the ambulance can be carried out, if meaningful. The tele-EMS physician supports the EMS team in obtaining all relevant medical history, ECG diagnosis, general diagnosis and can delegate the application of medications. This can be carried out to bridge the time to the arrival of an EMS physician or in less severe cases without an EMS physician on-scene. The safety and efficacy of the introduction and operation of this system should be evaluated.

Conditions

• Prehospital Emergency
• Teleconsultation
• Safety

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Teleconsultation	Teleconsultation in prehospital emergencies

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-08-01
• Primary completion: 2015-05-01
• Completion: 2015-05-01
• First posted: 2012-07-24
• Last updated: 2015-09-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany