Bracknell, UK 12 September 2011: Panasonic
Toughbooks are helping to revolutionise the way East Midlands
Ambulance Service crews record patient information whilst on the
road, improving patient care and driving efficiencies to create
millions of pounds of savings for the NHS.
In October 2011, East Midlands will be the first ambulance
service nationally to have fully completed its Electronic Patient
Report Form (EPRF) system roll-out. Using the system, the service
believes it can cut the number of unnecessary patient transfers,
saving millions year-on-year. Forecasts suggest that when the
system has been implemented nationally across the 11 Ambulance
Services, savings of up to £150m could be made annually.
Toughbook CF-19
With the EPRF system and the help of Panasonic’s Toughbook
mobile computing devices, crew members can electronically record
vital information about their patients while at the scene of an
emergency. Using the Toughbook devices, this quick and easy system
means important health information can be sent to the receiving
hospital ahead of the patient’s arrival, or to their GP, and
removes the need for time-intensive paperwork.
At the start of a shift, crews log on to the system using their
Toughbook rugged notebook. Control Despatchers can then send
incident information directly to the Toughbook while the crew is on
road.
After arriving at the location, the system allows crew members
to record detailed clinical findings and treatments for the benefit
of the receiving hospital, the patient’s GP or other
ambulance crews as required.
The paramedics are also able to access a number of other useful
resources through the device, including a wide range of reference
tools such as treatment and medication guidelines, and GP contact
details.
As well as assisting the crews in their emergency calls the
information recorded also allows Ambulance Service administrators
to capture and analyse treatment data in realtime, helping them to
more efficiently manage the emergency service.
Speaking about their choice of device, East Midlands Ambulance
Service’s Head of ICT, Andy Evans, said: “We quickly
realized that the Panasonic Toughbooks were right for the job we
wanted to do in the field. A lot of the time our crews are out in
the cold, wet and snow, and in dirty conditions, such as under cars
at road traffic accidents. In these conditions it is very often
impossible to keep the equipment clean and dry they regularly take
hard knocks.”
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-18 and now CF-19 models are ideal for
emergency services use as they are specially designed to deal with
the harsh environment of an emergency services shift.
The Toughbook CF-19 is the ultimate in durability and
reliability. A magnesium-thickened casing offers maximum protection
for the most sensitive components such as the display. Hard drives
are secured against impact and shock. A fall from a height of 90cm
does not affect functionality in any way, and a special protective
coating provides dust and water resistance. The devices can also be
wiped down to clean and meet infection control requirements.
The CF-19 is the leading convertible rugged notebook, which
means that the device can be used as a conventional laptop or
converted to a tablet PC for easy use by paramedics. The
lightweight device can easily be held with one hand and the bright
touchscreen LCD display is convenient to use both inside and
outside in bright light conditions.
Finally, the CF-19 is built for reliable communications when in
the field. With 3G wireless communications capability the device
can ensure ambulance crews are able to transmit and receive
critical information securely whilst on the move.
With 500 Toughbook devices now in use within the East Midlands
Ambulance Service, Andy says it is amazing how resilient the
devices have been.
“The failure rates are amazingly low. Our objective is to
be able to offer our patients the very best care, in the best
location in the fastest possible time and the Toughbooks help us
achieve this more efficiently than ever before.”
For Toughbook CF-19 images visit:
http://www.toughbook.eu/service-and-downloads/image-archive?directory=1CF-19&page=1#menu_image_archive
About Panasonic Toughbook
Panasonic Toughbooks are built to perform where other
mobile PC technology fails. Designed to give mobile workers access
to data and applications in places where it was never before
possible, Toughbooks are transforming the way organisations
operate. In 2010 Panasonic Toughbook had a 65.3% revenue market
share of the European rugged and durable notebook computer market
(VDC Research).
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the
development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range
of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan,
the company recorded consolidated net sales of 8.69 trillion yen
(€72.65 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2011. The
company’s shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New
York (NYSE:PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company
and the Panasonic brand, visit the company’s website at http://panasonic.net/
For further information visit: www.toughbook.eu
Press contact:
Paul Smith
Tel: +44 (0)7770 828525
