Med Channels CRYPTO???

[wb0wao]

They would never go the encryption route here as the two major hospitals receive patients via EMS from at least 8 counties spread across two states. All the EMS units run on 155.340 and call into the hospitals with patient data. The "local" ambulance system uses their own frequency to contact the hospitals here in Cape, but if they run out of county, they also use 155.340.

I could see it occuring in a major metropolitan area, but in the rural areas I doubt if you will ever see it due to the vast array of equipment that is used by the local EMS units - Motorola, Icom, Kenwood, Tait, Vertex-Standard, etc. Some of it would not be capable of operating in the encrypted mode. I know of one EMS unit in the area that has an 1980's vintage Regency rig as it's main radio!

Dennis

 

[ff-medic]

I just heard a report on MED 7, yet the ambulance was using what sounded like encryption while the hospital was in the clear... anyone else hearing this in ABQ?

Encryption ; or data being sent..Like maybe a 12 lead EKG ?

FF-Medic !!!

 

[ff-medic]

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.

Maybe a requirement for New Mexico. I have not seen or heard anything of it. Anthing too sensitive, there is always cell phone.

HIPPA is particular.....Yes , and privacy rights have been updated in the past years...But HIPPA laws are for the patient. The new HIPPA laws are long and troublesome, but you have to know what part / sections pertains to pre-hospital as well as in hospital care. HIPPA cvers everything and is as broad as it is long, but it is not "Scary"

FF-Medic !!!

 

[ff-medic]

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

Yep, but that does not mean you cannot be restrictive. If it is not a priority patient, and the report is not immediately needed for patient care, immediately upon arrival ( example - cardiac arrest , serious trauma, unconcious patient, seizure..ect ) does not mean you need to put it over the radio. Example - If a patient was taking meds for AIDS - I would not put that over the radio if I did not think it was medically, necessary, and a priority for the patients best interest and treatment. "I" would give that information to the nurse, when I give my verbal report ( Patient info, assessment info, past history, treatment in the ambulance - patients response to the treatment , family history, lung sounds , neuro assessment..ect..ect at the hospital ) .

Radio conversations at the hospital / Medical dispatching , is for the EMS unit as well as the hospital. The hospital knows, or is made aware they are receiving a patient, the EMS units sends the "pertenent" info in case they need to get orders from a Dr. for a procedure or med administration ( Chest Decompression , or permission to give morphine or another narcotic ).

Just because you have info, does nto mean you have to put it over the radio. A good healthcare provider uts themselves in the patients place. A car wreck victim, a chest pain patient, a seizure patient. You put yourself in the patients position , it make you a much better healthcare provider.

You do not have to put embarassing info over the radio, anything of real sensitivity needed to be broadcasted to the hospital or "Medical Command "...should be put over the cell phone.


FF-Medic !!!!

 

[ff-medic]

The weird thing is that its not on all Channels. Just Med 7 for some reason???

Then evidently MED 7 is a dedicated channel / freq. Again, I am thinking a data transmission. 12 lead EKG info possibly, but am not sure. But if it is only happening on one channel, that should raise an eyebrow.

FF-Medic !!!!

 

[ff-medic]

. 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

I would hope that initials would not go over the air. In most locales, populations of rural or medium sized ; once the hosptial gets the patients age, past history..ect, they know automatically whom they are. The pateints chart will beat you to the front desk before you even arrive. The charge nurse gives the patients nurse their chart, you transfer the patient from your gurney to the hospital bed, give the patients nurse a verbal report, document on your runsheet what time you turned teh patient over to the hosptal, as well as what nurse you give the verbal report to , clean and restock the ambulance, put clean sheets back on the gurney, and mark back inservice.

Contrary to popular belief, EMS is not as difficult as people make it out to be, but that again, just because an ambulnce shows up, does nto mean that the patient is saved either. Some people are, some will pass away in the ambulance no matter what you do, some will pass away in the hosptial days later ( bad burn patents - cardic cases )

Common sense people. Common sense.

FF-Medic !!!

 

[mdulrich]

It's HIPAA, not HIPPA. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

And from the HHS website that specifically state that encryption is NOT required.

For example, the Privacy Rule does not require the following types of structural or systems changes:
•Private rooms.

•Soundproofing of rooms.

•Encryption of wireless or other emergency medical radio communications which can be intercepted by scanners.

•Encryption of telephone systems.

Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule require hospitals and doctors' offices to be retrofitted, to provide private rooms, and soundproof walls to avoid any possibility that a conversation is overheard?

Mike

 

[ff-medic]

It's HIPAA, not HIPPA. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Mike

Yep, but it is " Common" for it to be spelled " HIPPA" ( Hip-Pa), due to the pronunciation.

Some even call it HIPPO , due to the coverage of the relatively new law. Which covers insurance, pre-hospital as well as hospital care and paper work, billing, documentation..ect..ect.

*** That is whay I said it was as broad as it is long.

FF-Medic !!!

 

[GTR8000]

Yep, but it is " Common" for it to be spelled " HIPPA" ( Hip-Pa), due to the pronunciation.

Commonly incorrect, yeah. Why, as someone in the field, continue to propagate the error? It's almost as bad as guys referring to carbon monoxide as "CO2". :roll:

 

[ff-medic]

Commonly incorrect, yeah. Why, as someone in the field, continue to propagate the error? It's almost as bad as guys referring to carbon monoxide as "CO2". :roll:

Carbon Monoxide ** as you say **" is CO ( The prefix "mono" means one )

Carbon Dioxide means CO2 ( the prefix "Di" means two ).

Yes..."Firefighters" most commonly say "CO" and "CO2". EX = "Go get the CO detector off of the truck"

Wash your clothes, or wersh you clothes? Go to the Creek ,or creeek to swim? ( Stress given to the letter "E") . Pronounciation all depends on you upbringing, location, habit of speaking ( since childhood ) and sometimes...socialities.

One mans trash is anothers pot of gold, no sense in debating over common pronounciation.

Who says the correct pronounciation.... the Americans, or the Brits. Geeze, please lets us not get juvenile in how one person pronounces common words. Is it "Mom" , or "Mum". If you believe "Mom" , tell the Brits that they are pronouncing it wrong?

Sociology ?

FF-Medic !!!!!

 

[GTR8000]

Carbon Monoxide ** as you say **" is CO ( The prefix "mono" means one )

Carbon Dioxide means CO2 ( the prefix "Di" means two ).

Yes..."Firefighters" most commonly say "CO" and "CO2". EX = "Go get the CO detector off of the truck"

Wash your clothes, or wersh you clothes? Go to the Creek ,or creeek to swim? ( Stress given to the letter "E") . Pronounciation all depends on you upbringing, location, habit of speaking ( since childhood ) and sometimes...socialities.

One mans trash is anothers pot of gold, no sense in debating over common pronounciation.

Who says the correct pronounciation.... the Americans, or the Brits. Geeze, please lets us not get juvenile in how one person pronounces common words. Is it "Mom" , or "Mum". If you believe "Mom" , tell the Brits that they are pronouncing it wrong?

Sociology ?

FF-Medic !!!!!

You missed my point completely. Nice diatribe, but what it has to do with you, a medic who should know better, incorrectly referring to HIPAA as HIPPA, I have no idea. This is not about pronunciation, you TYPED it incorrectly, simple as that. Pronunciation has absolutely nothing to do with how it is written.

You also missed my point about CO vs CO2. Which was that far too many emergency services workers incorrectly refer to it as "CO2", i.e. "Hey Bob, go grab the CO2 detector off the rig". New guys pick up on it, and perpetuate it, thus dumbing everyone down over time. Much in the same way a medic should know it's HIPAA, yet not only refuses to write it that way, but then breaks out into some rant about pronunciation.

Bottom line: The correct acronym is HIPAA, not HIPPA.

Have a nice day! :lol:

 

[JoeyC]

HIPPA is not HIPAA.
The 2 sound the same when pronounced as words, but they are not words, they are acronyms. If you mispell an acronym you have changed its representation completely.