Explore the information management needs of EMS and ambulance service providers. We'll start this post by investigating the information management solutions currently available. After that, we'll look at how the AIM System is strategically positioned to optimize and implement those solutions to best meet your ambulance information management needs. What is ambulance information management and why is it so important? After delivering quality patient care, the most essential aspect of any EMS/ambulance service provider’s successful business is to maintain and manage accurate, dependable ambulance reporting information. Ambulance information management, quite simply, is a comprehensive approach in EMS tracking collection, storage, and manipulation of pre-hospital care data and documentation.

Read the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Service's compliance reminder for EMS agencies that perform Advanced Life Support Ambulance Services. The bulletin focuses on the high number of errors related to insufficient documentation for ALS transports, highlighting the 2015 Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) Report that reflected an improper payment rate for ALS services of $226 million. Most errors occur when documentation: Does not support the medical necessity of the ALS level of service Lacks the patient’s signature authorizing the supplier to bill Medicare for the service

EMS is facing a crisis in our nation due to an increase of operating expenses, a decrease in volunteers, and a lack of Medicaid and commercial insurance reimbursement rates. Pennsylvania Medicaid rates have not been adjusted since 2004, while operating costs have continued to increase for EMS agencies. Legislation changes are needed at the government level before ambulance agencies are forced to close their doors, leaving no one available to answer 9-1-1 emergency calls. Pennsylvania Representative Martin Causer is working to address these serious challenges due to limited funding and the shrinking number of volunteers. Rep. Causer has introduced House Bill 699 as a solution to reform the PA Medicaid reimbursement rates.

AIM Facility User Access provides facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes, access to ambulance trips specific to their facilities. Not all ePCRs are created equal. AIM NEMSIS V3 ePCR helps Facility Users simplify the patient documentation process with enhanced Facility Access. The AIM enhanced patient care software will simplify your workflow, eliminate redundancy and maximize accuracy with fully integrated cloud based EMS solutions. This will allow you to shift your focus from documentation headaches to important patient care matters and increase your EMS agency's profits.

AIM Online EMS Software & Services is humbled by the service EMS providers give on a daily basis when responding to critical emergencies every minute of every hour. We at AIM realize, the toll responding to life altering emergencies can play on your mental health. AIM wants to highlight 2017 World Health Day’s campaign: Depression. Let’s join in the effort to bring awareness to depression and encourage everyone to talk about removing the stigmas associated with depression. Depression is a treatable disease that often can be overcome with proper medical care. If you or a fellow crew member are struggling with depression, please reach out to get help.

AIM has enhanced our Online ePCR NEMSIS V3 software with features that will continue to improve efficiency and meet your EMS agency's increasing demands. Here are a few of the features we’ve received positive reviews on from AIM customers: User and Group Profiles The Profile feature will reduce the time it takes to complete a run report by creating defaults by profile type. Your crew will have the ability to customize profiles to specific service needs. Signature Capture Enhancements The Signature feature allows your crew to easily select all agreements they want on one screen and collect one signature for all pertinent releases. This added benefit keeps your EMS agency HIPPA compliant, while reducing the amount of paperwork.

Considering March is National Kidney Month, we would like to recognize the valuable services EMS provides to patients with Kidney disease every day of the year. When EMS crews are called on to care for patients with Kidney Disease, we know they are in good hands. We also understand the amount of medical data dispatchers and crews are required to collect for this type of care, especially dialysis transports, can be overwhelming and frustrating at times. We want you to know we appreciate your efforts and are here to help.

Your EMS agency faces critical, lifesaving incidents everyday leaving little time to deal with operational related challenges. Your EMS agency faces critical, lifesaving incidents everyday leaving little time to deal with operational related challenges including reimbursement issues, budget restraints, staffing concerns, and EMS data quality and security. The last thing your agency has time to worry about are things like dated software, life time of servers, and disaster recovery problems. However, the reality is, data quality and security are real issues that can create a nightmare for your administration if the system goes down, is hacked, or fails without notice. If you think your current EMS technical infrastructure is at risk—AIM can help!

AIM salutes Rescue Heroes that serve our communities to keep us safe every time an emergency 911 EMS/Fire call comes in. This March we are celebrating Firefighter Kenneth Taggart’s 2017 Rookie of the Year Award. Firefighter Taggart was recently awarded Probationary Firefighter of the Year for Frederick County Fire & Rescue Services in Maryland. The award was presented at Frederick County Chamber of Commerce’s 6th annual Public Safety Awards in Brunswick, MD on March 7, 2017.

Opting for cloud-based services not only gives your EMS agency cost savings, but gives your staff access to quality integrated online workflow process. Higher costs, less reimbursement, tightening regulations, less manpower are just a few of the struggles EMS/Ambulance agencies are facing. Add the effects of aging data and server systems can be enough to put your EMS agency on the edge of disaster. Opting for cloud based services not only gives your EMS agency cost savings, but gives your staff access to quality integrated online workflow processes that will improve efficiency from call intake all the way through to reimbursement.