Patient Reports to a hospital? still by radio? not encrypted?

[rbarker]

I have a question regarding where you live, does the EMS radio in patient reports in the clear to the hospital while transporting? In Austin, Every patient report by Austin EMS they call in a patient report over a radio talkgroup and I kind of thought that was old way of doing it. Don't most EMS use cell phone for privacy now adays? I hear some of the fire depts are running their own ambulances now, and they use a cell phone. I was just wondering why they don't use cell phones.

 

[nd5y]

Here in Wichita Falls you sometimes hear patient reports on 155.34 but not that much.
Either they don't need to call in for every patient or they use cell phones most of the time.

 

[KC2ZHY]

I have a question regarding where you live, does the EMS radio in patient reports in the clear to the hospital while transporting? In Austin, Every patient report by Austin EMS they call in a patient report over a radio talkgroup and I kind of thought that was old way of doing it. Don't most EMS use cell phone for privacy now adays? I hear some of the fire depts are running their own ambulances now, and they use a cell phone. I was just wondering why they don't use cell phones.

Here in NJ, it's not as common to use VMED28 (known statewide as JEMS 2) as it used to be, but it's still used in some locations. As long as no demographic information is transmitted, it's a perfectly acceptable practice. Otherwise, yes, most agencies have entered into the 21st century and use cell phones.

 

[RRR]

Too many people make wild assumptions over the "HIPPA" law.

It is not a requirement to encrypt EMS - to - hospital radio traffic over the radio.

Regardless, I have never heard a patients name or SSN being given over the radio.

 

[Giddyuptd]

New Mexico uses the ten uhf med channels. Most are patched to TRS for those that use a TRS. Each area of the state has been assigned one in assigned hop pattern of the ten.

As said as long as certain pertaining data isn't given its fine.

However I can assure you once the states full 700 system is built the uhf med channels will be maintained for while but most or all traffic will move to talk groups on it and they will be encrypted full time on the 700 end, with no patching once everyone's on. This is quite a ways out however if not years for the med channels to not be patched and everyone be on it.

El Paso county TX patches the med uhf hospitals/med companies over to the county trs, city trs from uhf. Only government users have trs equipment use, while private companies are patched from uhf over to trs.

These are in the clear. They maintain also uhf for meds coming in from other regions and NM which you call communications then request a patch to whatever hospital trs talk group you need. In end you clear patch and communications in El Paso kills the patch.

There is some encrypted talk from hospital to hospital on the 700 city system.

 

[Motoballa]

We don't encrypt our EMS to Hospital talkgroup. Only information given is age, gender, nature of injury and a couple other details like BP, pulse, etc.

The only time cellphones are used is when it's a code (no pulse/respiration) they'll notify via radio and then call directly and give details.

 

[JD21960]

Chi-RAQ IL and surrounding areas still use analog 155.34-155.400 and over the air MED channels - 463.000 etc. I've literally heard 10's of 1000's in the open transport discussions with Hospitals-ambulances. MAYBE 2 gave information out that could be "used" by the listener. Maybe a handful of last-names only given out. They use Initials here for the most part instead of names and do often talk by cell phone with the details they wouldn't want over the air. I'd worry more about the data people freely give away on Twits, Farcebook and on the interweb "social media" It's provable that more crimes have been committed with THAT freely handed over data than any scanner traffic overheard. More people are scammed because their big mouth and Interweb for sure. There's really no excuse for ANY ENC except POLICE using surveillance and tactical channels since citizens pay for that equipment and have the right to hear the up to the second information on emergencies. I find it laughable that some states use ENC for these MED channels. All a crook has to do is go to social media for free instead of buying a $700 scanner.

 

[n3obl]

In western pa I mainly use radio for notifications and cell when i need orders from a physician. Now there are few odd balls that dont answer radios where i have to call in reports. even then they are usually very brief reports.

 

[a417]

Million different systems, million different answers. HIPAA does not apply as PHI is not involved, i've personally used them all. Found the radio easiest thru co-ordinated dispatch center.

 

[KK4JUG]

This comes up two or three times a year. Almost no medics give out names or other personal identifying information on the air so even if HIPAA did apply, it wouldn't matter.

 

[motorola_otaku]

Houston FD EMS uses encrypted talkgroups on their system, and have radios installed at all of the area hospitals. Virtually everyone else in the region uses phones.

 

[FireJustin]

In my nook of Texas, we still use the UHF med channels as well. Nothing encrypted, each hospital has it's own Med channel. Nobody using phones that I have heard of.
-now-
There is a push to get folks to switch over to the city/county trunking system. That's a slow push, and even though each hospital has a talkgroup and radio in the ER, not all use them. For those that DO, still not encrypted.