Med Channels CRYPTO???
- Thread starter abqscan
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I've heard encryption before on the med channels.
If I'm not mistaken, I think it will be or is a requirement due to all the privacy concerns with patient rights and laws like HIPPA.
I listened about 30 minutes today and heard AAS and Rio Rancho in the clear talking on a few different MED channels. I will listen later when I have more time.
Hooligan
Member
HIPAA requires that personal medical information be protected. Many EMS providers protect that info via encryption when using a radio circuit to communicate a patient's medical status to a hospital.
In the old days, you could monitor FD/EMS being sent to a specific address on a medical call, then if the patient was transported, you could tune in the hospital/ambulance radio channel & learn that in addition to the bursitis flareup that resulted in the 9-1-1 call, the EMS crew might give the hospital a head's up that the patient has AIDS or something. Since AIDS is treated more as a civil rights issue than a public health issue, that sort of thing, plus of course the electronic medical records, became a privacy concern.
In the old days, you could monitor FD/EMS being sent to a specific address on a medical call, then if the patient was transported, you could tune in the hospital/ambulance radio channel & learn that in addition to the bursitis flareup that resulted in the 9-1-1 call, the EMS crew might give the hospital a head's up that the patient has AIDS or something. Since AIDS is treated more as a civil rights issue than a public health issue, that sort of thing, plus of course the electronic medical records, became a privacy concern.
JoeyC
Senior Member
And you can still tune in to that EMS traffic today in many places. There is no requirement that radio communication need be encrypted as far as HIPAA is concerned.
Actually You can give full reports to the hospital in the clear with no problems what so ever as long as you dont name the patient.
Encryption is hard to implement becuase the hospital would need an encrypted radio to hear them.
Frank
Encryption is hard to implement becuase the hospital would need an encrypted radio to hear them.
Frank
wb0wao
Member
Correct - there was a lot of questions about that when HIPAA came out. The final determination was that as long as you did not give out the persons name, the transmission of current patient data as well as any underlying conditions that were the result of or impacted on the current medical condition could be transmitted in the clear. About the only time you get anything close to "naming names" is on a transfer where the EMS crew advised they are enroute with a patient "J.S." - or whatever their initals are - and enquires if the hospital is aware of the transfer.
Dennis
And the VA runs where they require SSN and iether initials, or last name as proof that patient is VA eligible.
Hooligan
Member
Did I state otherwise?
JoeyC
Senior Member
Yep. "In the old days..", "could monitor...", "could tune..." all imply that you cannot today.
madrabbitt
Member
i *think* med 7 is the VA hospital. If so, it wouldnt surprise me if they had an encryption capable radio in the facility. Since the ER is technically the closest ER to the base, I can see the possibility of the base ambulances being able to talk direct to them with encryption.
I've never heard any encryption for patient reports on 1 (UNMH) or 6 (PHS Facilities)
I generally have 1, 2 and 6 in my general scan list at home, because of the location of my apartment, i'm within 1/2 mile of 3 of the helipads, and its nice to know when theres going to be a bird landing... especially the big ones they land at PHS main... they can rattle stuff off my shelves when they come in directly above me.
I've never heard any encryption for patient reports on 1 (UNMH) or 6 (PHS Facilities)
I generally have 1, 2 and 6 in my general scan list at home, because of the location of my apartment, i'm within 1/2 mile of 3 of the helipads, and its nice to know when theres going to be a bird landing... especially the big ones they land at PHS main... they can rattle stuff off my shelves when they come in directly above me.
madrabbitt
Member
I've never heard an LC unit using encryption or digital, but again, i dont have 7 in my usual scan list.
Next time i'm in one of their units, i'll have to look at what kind of radio they have in there.
Next time i'm in one of their units, i'll have to look at what kind of radio they have in there.
OsloViking1975
Member
Here in Michigan I have the EMS and Hospitals program I do hear the patients status and what kind of medicines their giving them etc but they do not give the name of the patient.
As far as I know med chans will go encrypted on the input from medics and stay open from hospitals. I do not know a set date for this but some have already did this while others lag. My advice is get a digital scanner anyway as in time all of new mexico is going digital for sure. I know allot of law channels will be encrypted using same encryption for each other for inter op junk. From what I seen allot are testing police encrypted on secure line all time, dispatch out clear. But I know they are in southern NM merging local comm with centralized ops with DHS for regional 911 centers in Dona Ana, Otero, Luna, Chaves, Socorro. Those area plan to use Encryption when every one is updated later on on med chans and leo.
smw87110
Member
Crypto
What do you mean when you say it sounds like the ambulance transmission was "crypto"?
Med 7 is for the Presbyterian Hospitals, and if I remember correctly the only difference in Med 7 is that it is the only one that does not utilize the repeater. Nothing has gone encrypted (at least not yet) on the Med channels.
What do you mean when you say it sounds like the ambulance transmission was "crypto"?
Med 7 is for the Presbyterian Hospitals, and if I remember correctly the only difference in Med 7 is that it is the only one that does not utilize the repeater. Nothing has gone encrypted (at least not yet) on the Med channels.
EMS Med Channels
Here in CT, all the MED channels use unencrypted FM radio.
Medical patches are completely in the clear, and at mosts comm centers,
the ambulance tranmissions are repeated through the base half of the
system.
The only change will be the move to narrowbanding (12.5 khz deviation) but
nothing in the way of trying to secure what is sent.
W1AMJ
Here in CT, all the MED channels use unencrypted FM radio.
Medical patches are completely in the clear, and at mosts comm centers,
the ambulance tranmissions are repeated through the base half of the
system.
The only change will be the move to narrowbanding (12.5 khz deviation) but
nothing in the way of trying to secure what is sent.
W1AMJ
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