[Digital systems to support emergency medical service : A Germany-wide cross-sectional survey on current availability, utilization and existing challenges]

Background and objective: Increasing requirements for documentation, cross-sectoral communication and quality management are leading to increased organizational effort in emergency medical services (EMS). On the one hand, the use of digital information systems in prehospital settings can help to support emergency physicians and paramedics in these tasks and on the other hand, it opens new treatment options such as telemedical care for patients. This work attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of the current use of digital systems for ambulance services in Germany. To do so, the study investigated how widespread various information and communication systems currently are at local EMS stations and ambulances, how they are used by emergency personnel, how they are assessed by users and what challenges currently exist for further expansion and greater acceptance of the users.

Material and methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted as a nationwide, exploratory online survey among emergency physicians and paramedic professionals in July and August 2020 covering 24 different questions. Participation was called for on the Internet, at EMS stations and in hospital emergency departments. Subsequent data analysis was performed using descriptive statistical methods. Solutions considered included digital documentation and hospital prenotification, interdisciplinary care capacity notification, real-time telehealth services and digital radio units.

Results: In total, 821 responses of participants from 481 different EMS stations from 382 cities nationwide were included in the evaluation. The availability of the 16 systems surveyed varies significantly throughout Germany, depending on the federal state and application. While basic equipment such as radio units or navigation devices are available on almost all surveyed ambulances, the share which has real-time telehealth applications at their disposal is just 6%. A proportion of 72% reported the usage of any type of digital documentation and 41% used a digital tool for prenotification of emergency rooms in at least one hospital. The emergency staff surveyed were generally open to new technologies and resulting possibilities, such as having an electronic patient care record or transmitting patient data digitally to emergency room. Almost all participants see a benefit in the use of information technology in ambulance service, although slightly more than half considered current implementation as unsatisfactory. Challenges are particularly evident with regard to reliability, hardware, useability and interoperability with third parties, such as dispatch centres and hospitals.

Conclusion: Although information technology systems in German EMS are no longer in their infancy, there is still a long way to go before prehospital emergency care can be considered as extensively and adequately digitalized. A more holistic perspective and networked implementation of all systems and processes involved in emergency response operations can help improve and further spread digital solutions for prehospital emergency care. Incorporating field experience into the development process could contribute to increasing functionality and user acceptance.