Paramedics in state to gain access to life-saving technology

ANNAPOLIS — Swift access to medical care can mean the difference between life and death when a patient suffers a heart attack, stroke, or other major trauma. To facilitate faster treatment in emergencies, Governor Larry Hogan has included $500,000 in the Fiscal Year 2023 Maryland state budget to provide DrFirst’s award-winning Backline EMS communication platform to key first responders.

Backline EMS was piloted in the state by the Queen Anne’s County Department of Emergency Services over the last 12 months. The technology has become an integral part of the county’s emergency response system and its Mobile Integrated Community Health program, improving on-scene patient assessments and reducing the risk of medication errors, according to Scott Wheatley, Assistant Chief of EMS for Queen Anne’s County.

“Obtaining medical information in real time at the scene of an emergency is often important for assessment and treatment,” Wheatley said. “During one emergency, our responders arrived to find an unresponsive patient with no way to obtain any clinical data. Using Backline EMS, paramedics scanned the patient’s driver’s license, and within seconds they had his prescription information. The paramedics discovered medication consistent with a seizure disorder, which allowed them to make accurate treatment and transport decisions.”

DrFirst’s Backline EMS gives first responders on-the-scene access to patients’ medication history to help determine the best course of treatment, which is especially critical for patients who are unconscious or unable to recall details about their medications. The mobile app is HIPAA-compliant and enables EMTs to instantly retrieve six months of medication data by scanning the patient’s driver’s license, forward medication lists to emergency departments via secure messaging, and conduct telehealth sessions with emergency physicians.

“The state of Maryland is leading the way for the nation by using ground-breaking mobile technology to provide first responders with critically needed medication information about their patients and by shortening the time to care when seconds matter,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. “I’d like to thank Governor Hogan and the General Assembly for recognizing the value of making this platform available statewide to improve the quality of emergency care and increase efficiency for EMS and hospital emergency departments.”

The nonprofit MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, is an ongoing proponent of EMS access to services and tools that facilitate highly responsive care and applauds this program’s inclusion in the state budget.

“Knowing a patient’s medication history at the scene of an emergency can help EMTs with patient assessment and decision-making,” said MedChi CEO Gene Ransom. “This program can help save lives and create efficiencies that reduce the overall cost of care.”