ITS and Transportation Safety: EMS System Data Integration to Improve Traffic Crash Emergency Response and Treatment – Phases IV and V

Abstract

Researchers developed a software system called “CrashHelp” to improve the information exchange from emergency medical services (EMS) practitioners to emergency room/trauma center providers. The system combines mobile smartphone, multimedia, Web server, and location-based technologies for paramedics to send key information to hospital providers in a more data-rich manner than is currently available. This study outlines the development of a second version of CrashHelp and summarizes the results of an initial pilot testing in the Boise, Idaho, region. In addition, the study contains an analysis of the data system standards for EMS and intelligent transportation systems to understand how they should be applied to the CrashHelp system. Finally, the study investigates the potential sustainability of the CrashHelp system in several respects, including deployment in regions with little prior infrastructure, as well as in more urban and developed areas. This included investigating business models and deployment models for delivering CrashHelp as a product or service in the future.