Wi-Fi Ambulance in the works

I’m lucky enough to have never been in an ambulance and I hope I will never be in one, either. If I do, though, I want the whole thing to go as well as it possibly can. So does American Medical Response. AMR is an ambulance service provider that has unveiled a new technologically advanced ambulance.

Among the features of the ambulance, In Motion Technology pairs a cellular internet backhaul connection and Wi-Fi driven mobility outside the vehicle. This means that paramedics can take a laptop or PDA on site and enter the care and patient information directly, instead of handwriting them and then transcribing them later. By the time the patient reaches the hospital the doctors have all the information that the paramedics have, so they are more prepared to offer care.

Security is obviously a major concern with medical records. By using the Wi-Fi connection to a gateway, they avoid storing information on a laptop or PDA which can be lost or stolen.

The system can also be used by ambulance operators to help their drivers and paramedics. The cellular link can be used to provide better information and even routing capabilities.

The biggest concern in developing this technology is that it helps the paramedics instead of creating more work at a time when they are already busy enough.