Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026
06:58
An Application for Pairing with Wearable Devices to Monitor Personal Health Status
Published on: February 3, 2022
3.5K
Development of a Mobile Application for EMS Treatment Protocols Based on a Human-Centered Design Approach.
Jake Toy1,2,3,4, Denise Whitfield1,2,3,4, Shira Schlesinger1,2,3,4
1Los Angeles Emergency Medical Services Agency, Santa Fe Springs, California.
Prehospital Emergency Care
|March 13, 2026
Summary
Emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians now have a mobile app for quick access to treatment protocols and real-time decision support. This human-centered design (HCD) approach improves patient care by providing essential information during emergencies.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Health Informatics
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Traditional emergency medical services (EMS) treatment protocols are static and difficult to access during patient care.
- Rapid access to reliable resources is crucial for optimizing medical decision-making and reducing errors in prehospital settings.
- Human-centered design (HCD) offers a methodology for developing user-focused solutions tailored to end-user needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development of a mobile application utilizing HCD principles.
- To facilitate rapid access to prehospital treatment protocols for EMS clinicians.
- To provide real-time decision support and just-in-time training during field care.
Main Methods:
- The Los Angeles County EMS Agency developed a mobile application in partnership with Harbor-UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine and The Lundquist Institute.
- The development followed a three-phase HCD process: Inspiration, Ideation, and Implementation.
- A descriptive report was generated detailing ideas from the initial phases and the resulting prototype.
Main Results:
- The mobile application prioritizes three key areas: concise, real-time treatment protocol access; quick decision support tools (e.g., drug dosing, risk scores); and just-in-time training for critical procedures.
- Design functions include interlinked content, visible cues for critical information, and search/favorite capabilities for policies.
- The prototype features 'Rapid Access Treatment Protocols' (RATPs), Quick Reference Guidelines (QRGs), and Just-in-Time (JIT) Videos.
Conclusions:
- A mobile application developed using HCD principles provides EMS clinicians with rapid access to real-time decision support.
- The application's features, prioritized by stakeholders and clinicians, address critical needs in prehospital care.
- This HCD approach and resulting application can serve as a model for other EMS systems seeking to improve care delivery.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:15Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model
1.0K
The case management model is a multidisciplinary approach that involves healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines, such as physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, and pharmacists, working collaboratively to address the various needs of patients. Each healthcare professional brings unique expertise and perspectives, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the patient's condition and tailoring treatment plans accordingly.
For example, a patient with a chronic...
For example, a patient with a chronic...
1.0K
01:29Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
6.3K
The issues and trends in healthcare delivery are constantly changing. The COVID-19 pandemic is one recent issue that wreaked havoc on healthcare systems, causing a shortage of healthcare workers, high demand for medicines and supplies, and increased medical expenditure due to a lack of insurance. Other issues include rising healthcare costs and care fragmentation.
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
6.3K
01:29Applications of GIS: Disaster Management and Emergency Response
628
Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is essential for risk identification, action prioritization, and resource optimization in critical situations like flooding and earthquakes. By integrating spatial and demographic data, GIS provides a comprehensive framework for emergency response.GIS integrates data layers, like rainfall intensity, topography, elevation profiles, and river levels, to model high-risk flood zones. These layers assess areas susceptible to flooding based on their...
628
01:23Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation III: AED Use
1.1K
Introduction to AEDAn Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable medical device that analyzes the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, leading to a loss of blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. In such emergencies, time is of the essence, and using an AED, combined with Cardiopulmonary...
1.1K
01:26Types of Reports III: Telephone and Verbal Reports
1.1K
Telephone and Verbal Reports in healthcare settings are two communication methods for conveying therapeutic instructions from healthcare providers to nurses or other healthcare staff.
Here's an overview of each type:
Telephone Orders
Here's an overview of each type:
Telephone Orders
1.1K