Real-time telemedicine ambulance, the angel who saves lives

    For disaster relief operations or emergency medical services (EMS), time is more important than money because it is a matter of life and death. An ambulance equipped with a telemedicine system is a prime example of how mobile technology can save lives. On the way to the hospital, the ambulance can provide real-time patient information through wireless communication technology, while also enabling remote diagnosis and primary care, thus significantly reducing the response time of the rescue and gaining precious time for further rescue of the patient.

    Telemedicine is a concept proposed by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA). It uses electronic communication technology to exchange medical information from one location to another remote location, thereby effectively improving the patient's clinical health status.

    Telemedicine includes a growing variety of applications and services, such as remote health testing and medical education, etc. Among these applications, telemedicine-based ambulances use the most advanced automotive electronics and mobile communication technologies, with obvious time advantages, allowing critical treatments to be delivered faster and improving patient survival rates.

    For example, when rescuing a victim of a car accident, the victim's vital signs (such as ECG, blood pressure, respiratory rate, etc.) can be measured with the help of the telemedicine system on the ambulance and transmitted to the remote hospital headquarters via the wireless communication network (3G/Wi-Fi). In addition, the digital camera installed on the ambulance can take videos and transmit them to the remote hospital in real time.

    At the remote end, doctors and nurses in the emergency room can receive and view data collected from the ambulance with the help of computers or mobile devices (such as tablets or smartphones), and make a preliminary assessment before the patient arrives at the hospital. Doctors in the emergency room can also zoom in on the image to observe the patient's wounds, discuss treatment plans with the emergency medical technicians (EMT) on the ambulance, and instruct the emergency medical technicians to perform basic treatment and emergency medical services, such as injections or treatment of fractures.

    Emergency medical personnel and trauma physicians can also perform remote triage and, if needed, prepare a surgical team before the patient arrives at the hospital. If they determine that the hospital's existing medical resources cannot meet the patient's condition, they can also recommend an alternative medical center to save time in transferring to another hospital.

    The goal of telemedicine ambulance is to save every minute possible to save lives. For patients with stroke or heart disease, such a pre-hospital emergency system is very important. Early diagnosis and treatment can save patients' lives at critical moments and reduce sequelae.

    Telemedicine ambulances are also very valuable for residents in remote areas because patients usually live a long distance from hospitals. Telemedicine ambulances can provide treatment and professional care in advance with the help of wireless communication technology.

Application Architecture

    An ambulance based on a telemedicine system needs to be equipped with a rugged computer platform to support multiple onboard wired and wireless devices (including medical equipment) and provide wireless connections to remote hospitals.

    The ambulance must also be equipped with a digital camera to record how the emergency medical services are managed and send real-time images of the patient to the hospital. Microphones are also required to facilitate communication between the emergency medical rescue personnel in the ambulance and the doctors in the hospital.

    It is also recommended to deploy GPS, which allows hospitals to locate the location of ambulances and provide the shortest route to get patients to the hospital for treatment as quickly as possible.

    In addition to a reliable hardware platform, advanced software is also necessary to achieve seamless and reliable connections when executing many applications.

    The telemedicine system must be integrated into the hospital's outpatient information system so that paramedics on the ambulance, doctors and nurses in the hospital can obtain the patient's medical records at any time to speed up medical diagnosis.

    In addition, the patient's latest physiological data and test results can be transmitted to the hospital's information system in real time, avoiding repeated examinations and treatments to speed up the patient's treatment.

Function

Remote Patient Monitor

    The patient's vital signs data are measured in the ambulance and transmitted to the remote hospital for real-time monitoring and subsequent reference. These data include blood pressure, blood sugar, blood gas and electrocardiogram.

Real-time doctor "remote diagnosis and treatment"

    Doctors in the hospital can make remote preliminary diagnoses and triage decisions through real-time voice and video transmission while the patient is on the way to the hospital, and can also prepare surgical equipment in advance if necessary.

Mobile emergency medical services and teletrauma care

    With the guidance of the emergency room physician, EMTs can perform basic treatment and urgent medical services, such as injections or pre-treatment of broken bones. Pre-stroke assessment and intensive care services can also be provided in advance at critical life-saving moments.

GPS Tracking

    The in-vehicle GPS system provides unparalleled accuracy in dispatching and navigation, allowing hospitals to re-plan optimal routes to shorten response times.

Electronic patient care reporting (e-PCR)

    The ambulance telemedicine system can transmit important electrocardiograms and other patient information to the hospital's information system in real time, create or update the patient's electronic health report, avoid repeated testing and care procedures, save treatment time, and save lives.

Expert recommendation service

    Since the patient's information is available before arriving at the hospital, the hospital can make triage decisions in advance and notify professional doctors. If the hospital's existing resources cannot meet the patient's current situation, the patient can be transferred to other hospitals or medical centers in advance to save transfer time.

ADLINK Solutions

    ADLINK's MIX-110 is a compact industrial computer (234.4mm x 191.2mm x 56.6mm). It is a low-power system with a rugged mechanical structure. It provides a rich I/O interface that can be used to connect various onboard devices and ensure wired and wireless connections. It is very suitable for deployment in remote medical ambulances.

    The MIX-110's rich I/O features include a GPS module for real-time vehicle positioning, 3G and Wi-Fi modules for wireless communications, and a mini-PCIe expansion slot to support video applications.

    Ambulances are often used to save lives at high speeds, so it is imperative that telemedicine systems have reliable wireless data connections. ADLINK MIX-110 provides both Wi-Fi and high-bandwidth cellular network connections to ensure network reliability.

    System integrators can develop application software independently, purchase it from a third party, or use the ready-to-use (Application-Ready) solutions provided by ADLINK Technology.