Improved technical performance of a multifunctional prehospital telemedicine system between the research phase and the routine use phase – an observational study

IntroductionTelemedical concepts in emergency medical services (EMS) lead to improved process times and patient outcomes, but their technical performance has thus far been insufficient; nevertheless, the concept was transferred into EMS routine care in Aachen, Germany. This study evaluated the system’s technical performance and compared it to a precursor system.MethodsThe telemedicine system was implemented on seven ambulances and a teleconsultation centre staffed with experienced EMS physicians was established in April 2014. Telemedical applications included mobile vital data, 12-lead, picture transmission and video streaming from inside the ambulances. The tele-EMS physician filled in a questionnaire regarding the technical performance of the applications, background noise and assessed clinical values of the transmitted pictures and videos after each mission between 15 May 2014–15 October 2014.ResultsTeleconsultation was established during 539 emergency cases. In 83% of the cases (n = 447), only the par...