DATA-PROCESSING IN PREHOSPITAL EMERGENCY-MEDICINE

Information about the use of data processing systems in prehospital em ergency medicine were collected, using a questionnaire sent to ail Ger man rescue helicopter bases. Twenty-seven of the 42 German rescue heli copter bases returned the questionnaire. At present, only 15 of them t ake advantage of electronic data processing. All of them enter their d ata manually by keyboard, automatic data transfer by means of a bar co de reader is available at one base only. The stored data are used for statistical analysis (n = 15), quality assessment (n = 10), administra tion (n = 10), research (n = 9) and education (n = 7). Based on the da ta of this survey, one fifth of those who replied use their computer o nly for administrative purposes, the other also manage patient and mis sion data with their computer systems. Today, documentation of a rescu e mission consists of patient data, vital data, mission data and infor mation about the procedures carried out. The use of a computer system, however, requires more time and work than a handwritten record, when most of the data have to be entered manually using a keyboard. Future developments may include automated data transfer and digitization of h andwritten documents to decrease the workload of the staff. For the au tomation of data transfer, configuration and synchronisation a standar dized interface in all medical devices is required. There is a clear n eed for the use of data processing systems in emergency medicine.