EMSCharts

[TotowaEMT]

Anyone use emscharts for their PCR's? I saw a few threads about it but nothing in the past year so I thought there might be some new opinions? NJ recently granted all EMS agencies free use of EMSCharts through a 5-year deal with emscharts.com. Right now we use an ancient database app to record our calls.

 

[reaper]

Yes, I use it. It is a very decent program and can be customized for what you need.

 

[TotowaEMT]

so far it looks good but i think its going to be really hard to get people to transition from entering a few fields to a 6 "page" pcr especially since we're volly and using it for BLS only

 

[SoCal]

I use it and like it alot. I like how neat everything comes out when you are done. A little tedious at first, however with time, you learn all of the buttons and it becomes second nature. I like the program.

 

[el Murpharino]

so far it looks good but i think its going to be really hard to get people to transition from entering a few fields to a 6 "page" pcr especially since we're volly and using it for BLS only

Despite entering 6 "pages" on the program, the report ends up being about 2 pages max.

We use it at work. I like the fact that now noone has to endure the hardship of reading my chicken-scratch. Plus the copy the hospital got on our paper PCR's was the carbon copy of the carbon copy - you could imagine how faint the writing gets. With increased legibility and mandatory fields having to be filled out comes greater reimbursement rates. It's very nice once you have a patient database in place - you can put in their name, get all their demographic information in addition to their medical history, meds, allergies.

There is some redundancy on these reports and you may feel like you're filling in the same thing 2 or 3 times. Due to checkboxes and mandatory fields, I have found myself taking noticeably more time filling out PCR's than if I did them by pen and paper. There is also a fair amount of capital needed to get the program operating properly, although it helps when the hospital is on-line with your agency and has printers set up, or at worst having your computers set up so they can send the hospital the report via fax. There is definitely some kinks that will need to be worked out initially, but I think that would be the case with any new system.

 

[JPINFV]

If there's any extra room in the ambulance, why not get a portable printer set up so that you can print out the PCR regardless of which hospital you go to?

 

[Flight-LP]

EMS charts is the devil................

We use it for our air program and our PCR's are 9 pages long. I absolutely hate the inability to manually input info and having to constantly search for MD's and hospitals. It probably could be customized further, but all of our bases use it and it doesn't allow for individual base specific information. Its not bad one you get in the groove, but I personally enjoy a more user friendly and customizable template.

 

[EMTinNEPA]

Manually entering info... that's why I love EMMA.

 

[TotowaEMT]

Despite entering 6 "pages" on the program, the report ends up being about 2 pages max.

We use it at work. I like the fact that now noone has to endure the hardship of reading my chicken-scratch. Plus the copy the hospital got on our paper PCR's was the carbon copy of the carbon copy - you could imagine how faint the writing gets. With increased legibility and mandatory fields having to be filled out comes greater reimbursement rates. It's very nice once you have a patient database in place - you can put in their name, get all their demographic information in addition to their medical history, meds, allergies.

There is some redundancy on these reports and you may feel like you're filling in the same thing 2 or 3 times. Due to checkboxes and mandatory fields, I have found myself taking noticeably more time filling out PCR's than if I did them by pen and paper. There is also a fair amount of capital needed to get the program operating properly, although it helps when the hospital is on-line with your agency and has printers set up, or at worst having your computers set up so they can send the hospital the report via fax. There is definitely some kinks that will need to be worked out initially, but I think that would be the case with any new system.

actually its being paid for by the state so its absolutely free for us to use.

 

[Scout]

Screen shots?

 

[wyoskibum]

so far it looks good but i think its going to be really hard to get people to transition from entering a few fields to a 6 "page" pcr especially since we're volly and using it for BLS only

Volunteer and BLS should have nothing to do with it. Don't let your people use that as an excuse because it will be inconvenient to enter 6 pages of data. While some of the fields seem stupid and unnecessary, electronic PCR's give you uniform and consistent data. I'm sure your state office will use this data when it comes time to give grants for new equipment, etc...

 

[EMS49393]

We use them. I just started with my new company almost a month ago. It took me three or four reports to get into a quick groove with them. I'm pretty OCD with reports, so I love this program. I have 10 screens to get through, however some of them have one or two pieces of information to input. The reports average 2 typed pages, compared to 4 typed pages with LifeNet's ePCR that I used at my last job. Not to mention, emsCharts is a lot more thorough than LifeNet.

I will tell you that the BLS reports are a lot easier than the ALS reports.

We have the ability to fax the report from the station once it's completed. We can also use our own laptops to do reports in the station because it's internet based. I would be cautious though, and ensure you have a secure, encrypted wireless connection if you do this.

As for printers in the ambulance... My last company tried that. They were all broken within a month. Some people could just care less about their job or their equipment, and giving them another item to destroy isn't financially sound.

 

[Achromatic]

Screen shots?

www.emscharts.com - but yeesh. UGLY.

Wow... I write electronic medical records systems as a day job... user interface is something that apparently needs sorely improved.

Hmmm, I have an idea... *plots and runs off to plan out what it would take to build a PCR system*

 

[Medic One]

I use both ZOLL and EMSCharts.

I work for two services and each use different programs. THe city I work for has the money and went with the expensive ZOLL program..As a manager I get to see more of the behind the scenes working of the program and it is much better to integrate with our CAD/dispatch program and makes billing a breeze.

The ZOLL program is very user friendly set up for each service. Our protocols are integrated into the system so for example you have a cardiac arrest it basically promts you for what needs to be filled out.

It has intergrated software to download AED's/LP12 & 15 monitors post call to add to the E-PCR.

Zoll has huge touch screen buttons that make filling out your E-PCR in a moving ambulance a snap...it works over integrated encripted cellular and/or wifi but is only a laptop base program.

EMSCharts is nice but too many dropdown boxes...too small to use on a mobile version and their coding (billing) drop downs need some work. I like how I can use a full size computer anywhere to access and complete charts.

EMSCharts is affordable to smaller agencies or services with less than 10 units.

If you can afford it go with ZOLL.

 

[reaper]

Hate to say, but EMScharts does everything the Zoll does, at half the price. Plus it is constantly updated to keep it fresh.

 

[TotowaEMT]

Volunteer and BLS should have nothing to do with it. Don't let your people use that as an excuse because it will be inconvenient to enter 6 pages of data. While some of the fields seem stupid and unnecessary, electronic PCR's give you uniform and consistent data. I'm sure your state office will use this data when it comes time to give grants for new equipment, etc...

oh believe me im all for good data collection im just saying its going to be a rough transition. yes the data goes to the state and to the NJ First Aid Council as well.

 

[wyoskibum]

oh believe me im all for good data collection im just saying its going to be a rough transition. yes the data goes to the state and to the NJ First Aid Council as well.

I hear people using the "Volunteer" and "BLS" as an excuse or justification for not working as hard or not being the best they can be. In my opinion, anyone in EMS should be a professional whether they are getting paid or volunteering. When they are not, it makes all of us look bad and decreases our credibility.

 

[TotowaEMT]

I hear people using the "Volunteer" and "BLS" as an excuse or justification for not working as hard or not being the best they can be. In my opinion, anyone in EMS should be a professional whether they are getting paid or volunteering. When they are not, it makes all of us look bad and decreases our credibility.

hey man i hear ya i agree 100% and ideally, everyone would see the benefits of the system as it pertains to improving patient care protocols, quality control, etc. Not looking to start the old paid vs volly quarrel.

 

[wyoskibum]

hey man i hear ya i agree 100% and ideally, everyone would see the benefits of the system as it pertains to improving patient care protocols, quality control, etc. Not looking to start the old paid vs volly quarrel.

I don't have any issues with Paid vs Volly. I started as a volunteer and worked my way up. I've worked in combined systems with volunteers. I just have the same expectations of the volunteer as I do of the career person. So I guess it more of a "Professionalism" debate. Which we don't need go down that road either! :lol: