MEDFLIGHT SET TO LAUNCH MOBILE APP

March 25, 2015

By Kevin Landers, 10tv (click link for video)

MedFlight is Ohio’s largest critical care transport provider, but in order to save lives, crews need to know the location of the emergency – something that isn’t always clear when flying in rural parts of the state.

“We get a lot of (calls that say) ‘there are three barns, we’re in the middle of the red and blue one,’” says flight nurse Steve Borghese.

That’s where MetroAlert comes in.

When paramedics on the ground launch the app, it sends their exact location via text message to the MedFlight communication center.  The information is automatically sent to the MedFlight crew.  The high-speed transmission avoids time consuming conversations with dispatchers about where to land.

Borghese says the goal is to get the scene more quickly and get the patient on board to the hospital.

Another feature of the program is the countdown clock.   Now, medics on the ground know exactly when MedFlight is landing.

“It’s definitely reduced the amount of response time that the helicopter crew has by three to four minutes — sometime five minutes,” says Amanda Ball Spokesperson for Medflight.

When lives are the line, emergency crews say the more they know about a patient, the better the chance they can save a life.  With MetroAlert, they’ll also be able to transmit immediate medical information.  The app is designed to send photos of EKG’s, injuries, or crash scenes back to the hospital.

Before the chopper arrives, emergency room doctors see the photos and get a clearer picture of who they’ll be treating.

“It gives everybody the insight as where the injuries are (and) injury patterns once we find it we can fix it quicker,” adds Borghese.

In a profession where every second counts, Medfight, is working to beat the clock by trying to provide the best care in the air.  With the help of a cell phone app, it may buy patients the time they need to stay alive.

MedFlight will launch its MetroAlert app on Wednesday.  Any 911 center, fire department or hospital can use it.