Ambulance care in America

Ambulance care in America 

The ambulance care service is often the first point of contact for those in need of emergency medical care from anywhere, providing quick and life-saving treatment to patients on scene and on-route to hospital. However, despite the crucial role it plays, the ambulance care system has been facing significant challenges in recent years. In this blog, we will explore some of the issues and failings that are present in Ambulance care in America. 

Background 

There are 20,000 independent EMS agencies all over America, each with the same goal to provide emergency care to all in need (as quickly as possible) but each will do their work slightly differently- this is based on the agency, the how far the emergency is and how delicate the situation is. 

Ambulance charges are often paid by private insurers, government insurance (elderly and disabled) or even out-of-pocket; foreign travellers may be shocked to find out the average cost of an ambulance ride is $1200, but still the final cost will be more depending on the care received, mileage and the amount of staff needed. 

What happens behind the call? 

When calling 911 you are connected to an EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatcher) these are trained call takers whose role it is to answer calls and communicate with response units. They will gather information on the location of the call, nature of the emergency and they can also provide some pre-arrival instructions such as how to check the pulse, CPR and calming measures etc. 

Some other emergency numbers that can be called are 311 and 411 which give information on non-emergency incidents- these numbers are only available in some states. 

There are 4 levels of EMS certification:

• Emergency medical responder (EMR)

• Emergency medical technician (EMT)

• Advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT)

• Paramedic 

Emergency services in rural areas 

It is important to remember that ambulance services in rural areas are closing in record numbers (118 rural hospitals have closed since 2010) leaving around 60 million Americans at risk of being stranded in an emergency. Even though some states are stepping in to help with funding for EMS agencies, emergency medical experts say it’s not enough to cure the situation. 

Many small rural areas of America rely almost exclusively on volunteers, making it difficult for services in these areas to stay open. In the rural area of Marmarth there are just enough volunteers to keep ambulances running. The area has 12 volunteers who each take 12- hour shifts- 2 at a time, 1 to administer care and 1 to drive the ambulance. Everyone donates their time without any compensation- this means most have to work alongside volunteering to support themselves and their families. 

EMS workers require hours of training that costs hundreds of dollars. In North Dakota emergency responders require 50-60 hours of training to learn to drive the ambulance, assist with basic CPR and first aid. These classes can cost $600, which the unpaid volunteer has to pay. Training and costs rise as the volunteer becomes more skilled and climbs the ranks. The volunteers have to continue training every 2 years. 

How the Coremed can help

The Coremed and remote monitoring platform were designed with rural communities in mind, utilizing innovative technology to enable real-time communication between the two components. This communication allows hospitals to better prepare for patient arrivals by receiving up-to-date information from the scene/ambulance.

The Coremed is a multi-functional piece of equipment that includes several features such as triage assessments, ECG monitoring, capnography, temperature, respiratory, heart/pulse rate, pulse oximetry, and NIBP. It covers more specialties than other devices, making it a cost-effective solution for healthcare providers. By using cost effective solutions where possible will add to helping with the funding crisis. There are areas that being cost-effective can be used but others that cannot be due to safety reasons. 

Furthermore, the Coremed's user-friendly design allows EMT-Paramedics to spend less time learning how to operate multiple devices, and more time utilizing the device and life-saving techniques. The device also keeps a history log, enabling users to review session information and analyze data to make better decisions for the patient's future care.