Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow has begun using Twiage, a new mobile communications tool that is designed to help emergency medical services (EMS) and the hospital”™s emergency department (ED) communicate vital information more accurately and quickly before a patient arrives at the hospital.
According to the hospital, EMS personnel have been using a cell phone or radio to relay information about an incoming patient to a call center or directly to the ED. Twiage is designed to send alerts five to 10 minutes earlier than a typical phone or radio call.
“As an ER doctor for more than 25 years, timely and accurate information is critical to saving the life of an incoming patient,” said Dr. Barry Geller, chairman of the emergency department at Phelps Hospital. “Twiage allows EMS personnel to send photos, EKGs, or videos in real-time allowing our emergency medical unit to be better prepared ahead of when a patient arrives. We are in the business of saving lives and this is a powerful tool that I”™m excited to have at our disposal.”
