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New technologies are improving the quality of care provided by the emergency medical industry and making administration more effective and less costly for municipal fire departments, EMS units, and privately owned first responder companies. Where they once relied on separate software solutions to collect field data, manage patient records, and provide reporting, fire and EMS providers now benefit from web-based, real-time, integrated software solutions that help increase the quality of patient care and improve their overall financial performance.
Here are the top 5 reasons to switch to web-based EMS Software:
1.) Mobility and Ease of Use
Web-based EMS software solutions bring a new level of mobility to emergency medical personnel by giving them instant access to patient records directly over the Internet at anytime and from anywhere using a computer, smart phone or hand-held tablet device. Mobile device integration simplifies the implementation of the software and its use, as both the application and its required data management system remain hosted remotely. Virtual hosting allows agencies to instantly access patient records directly through the device’s default browser without the need to install special apps or make configurations to the device.
2.) Reduced Response Times
Web-based EMS software drastically reduces emergency response times by allowing agencies to schedule their workforce and dispatch apparatus in real-time. Communication is streamlined and as a result, response teams become better organized – both of which increase the overall efficiency of the agency’s operations. In addition, first responders benefit from real-time, accurate patient data that helps them provide fast and effective emergency care.
3.) Reduced costs
Web-based EMS software helps reduce costs by performing many IT functions that were once the sole responsibility of the internal agency. Now, many web-based EMS software companies provide web-based EMS Software as SaaS (Software-As-A-Service), which means that it includes both the application framework and its associated data management requirements all within the same virtually hosted environment. Agencies benefit from the reduced IT costs commonly associated with other EMS approaches including hosting expenses, license fees, additional hardware requirements, upgrade and migration costs, and the additional IT staff needed to maintain their internal systems.
Another huge benefit to agencies is the scalability of web-based EMS software; the size of the system seamlessly scales as the department grows – eliminating the need to perform costly system expansions. Since web-based EMS software is accessible directly through the Internet, agencies also benefit from broad-ranging software integration. Many EMS software companies are making it easier than ever to integrate pre-existing applications into their web-based software packages. In many cases, now EMS software companies offer a one-stop-shop integrated processing system that contains all the tools and information necessary to manage the complete patient cycle, from emergency response to claims reimbursement.
4.) Security
Web-based EMS software helps agencies secure their patient data while increasing their level of HIPAA Compliance. Real-time systems provide detailed audit trails that track system access and changes to patient records. Remote hosting also provides agencies with full data center backup and multilevel redundancy off location, which ensures timely and accurate disaster recovery of their information when needed. In addition, agencies can remain confident that their patient records transfer safely and securely throughout the web-based environment as EMS software companies conform to HIPAA best practices for the transfer of electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). Finally, unauthorized access to patient data is no longer an issue as many web-based EMS software companies strictly enforce identification, authentication, and encryption policies for these systems that exceed HIPAA standards.
5.) Data Integrity
Web-based EMS software maintains a high level of data quality and improved overall information management by providing enterprise-level, centralized access to reports and other critical, real-time application functions such as billing, HR, and AR management. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of centralized functionality is that web-based EMS systems not only provide instant access in the field, but also maintain consistent, up-to-date data despite frequent modifications to patient records and operational reports.
Web-based EMS software systems are the latest trend in the emergency medical field where information management not only affects the operational costs of the agencies, but also the quality of patient care. Web-based EMS systems now provide agencies with real-time information in an integrated solution that streamline their operations and drastically reduces their costs. Information can now be accessed remotely, across multiple platforms, from anywhere and at any time. Virtual patient records and operational reports remain reliable and up-to-date within cost-efficient remote-hosted systems that provide top-notch information processing, IT support, and security.
If you currently use web-based EMS software for billing, dispatch, patient reports, or healthcare inventory, but would like to learn more about how integrated EMS software solutions can enhance the quality of services that you provide, please fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
