Lifeflight Dispatch

[WalkieTalkie]

Is lifeflight disaptch and communnication all digital or am I missing something with the talkgroups because I never hear them dispatched out anymore or I never hear their communications except for on LZ-1 and 2?

[bchris]

Originally Posted by WalkieTalkie

Is lifeflight disaptch and communnication all digital or am I missing something with the talkgroups because I never hear them dispatched out anymore or I never hear their communications except for on LZ-1 and 2?

That is correct, they are digital AND encrypted, except when they need to talk to someone who isnt, such as on LZ-1 and 2. The encrypted part means that even if you buy a new digital scanner, you still cant hear them unless you use some special software (illegally).

I asked a Lifeflight employee a while back why they felt the need to be encrypted and he/she said 'because we talk about private and sensitive information, and we dont want people to hear it'. I just thought ya, ya, who doesnt talk about private and sensitive stuff, but its not like we scannerists are going to sell some unknown patient's age and blood pressure to the 6-o-clock news. It sure was fun to listen to while it lasted. If someone wanted to listen to what I do all day at work I would be flattered.

-bc

[ke7ovx]

Originally Posted by bchris

...I just thought ya, ya, who doesnt talk about private and sensitive stuff, but its not like we scannerists are going to sell some unknown patient's age and blood pressure to the 6-o-clock news. It sure was fun to listen to while it lasted.

-bc

I agree with not caring about broadcasting patient info, but new laws in effect from HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), makes it illegal and finable for any institution in healthcare (or any of us that work at a hospital) to "let" anyone not directly associated with that certain patient, to have info about that patient. It's become a privacy protection at it's finest.

[qlajlu]

Originally Posted by ke7ovx

I agree with not caring about broadcasting patient info, but new laws in effect from HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), makes it illegal and finable for any institution in healthcare (or any of us that work at a hospital) to "let" anyone not directly associated with that certain patient, to have info about that patient. It's become a privacy protection at it's finest.

...carried to extremes, if you ask me. Just listen to the hospital TGs and you will see that this "rule" is not adhered to very well, at least not in SL. I even hear patient info on LZ 1 and LZ 2 on occasion. No biggie.

I think the encryption by Life Flight is a much deeper reason than what they are saying. Either way, it hasn't lessened my joy at scanning. There is plenty more to listen to.

[tbogs]

Originally Posted by qlajlu

...carried to extremes, if you ask me. Just listen to the hospital TGs and you will see that this "rule" is not adhered to very well, at least not in SL. I even hear patient info on LZ 1 and LZ 2 on occasion. No biggie.

I think the encryption by Life Flight is a much deeper reason than what they are saying. Either way, it hasn't lessened my joy at scanning. There is plenty more to listen to.

I agree with QLAJLU, there seems to be a deeper reason for Life Flight wanting to go to encryption. It seems that AirMed shares patient info all the time. What makes Life Flight so different from AirMed? You hear patient info from Gold Cross when transporting and you even hear info between AirMed or Life Flight when contacting a hospital.

[ranger2004]

If I recall correctly, radio's changed shortly after Crandall canyon incident where Life Flight gave the full name over the air of a patient.
I would not remember this so well, but LF dispatch was relaying info to the inbound HELO's about exact details of the incident.
Then moments later a local news station repeated almost word for word what was just said on LF dispatch channel.

I wondered how they got away with doing this. Well Life Flight is a private organization and the scanner law's probably are much different than law or EMS.


Brett

[ryanisflyboy]

Why are they encrypted? I am guessing it is a combo of being able to afford it (a ride in one of those things isn't cheap), and because someone heard and repeated something they shouldn't have.

My wife is a nurse and can tell you all about the HIPAA laws. They seem to only enforce it when it is convenient. A good example is when someone doesn't like a fellow nurse, they wait for them to violate HIPPA (by talking too loudly about a patient, next to a stranger for example), then get them written up over it. It is pretty hard to not let patient details slip. Hospitals aren't really set up for privacy. No one wants to point this fact out. They are all too afraid to tick off a fellow nurse.

Dirty law. Protects no one. Hurts the weak. Makes vendors of encrypted radios and computer systems VERY happy.