Category: Data & Analytics

Data Cafe Insights: 2023 ESO Trauma Index Overview

posted on Mar 07, 2024 Best Practices

The 2023 ESO Trauma Index offers a detailed analysis of current trends and benchmarks in trauma care, setting a new standard for improvement. Accompanied by the ESO Data Café Webinar…

Recognizing and Removing Disparities in Patient Care

posted on Jan 19, 2024 Best Practices

In a perfect world, every patient seeking medical services would be given equal care and treatment regardless of their background. However, in reality, that’s not always the case. Gender, race,…

Keeping an Eye on Lights and Sirens During Transportation

posted on Oct 24, 2023 Best Practices

While lights and sirens have always been synonymous with ambulances, there’s been more and more research highlighting their potential risks outweighing their time-saving benefits. Due to this, the National EMS…

2022 ESO Trauma Index: Benchmarks and Focus Questions

posted on Nov 28, 2022 Best Practices

Last week, we launched the 2022 ESO Trauma Index – the annual research to facilitate industry conversations, set benchmarks, and compare hospital and trauma systems’ performance with peers. Created from…

Community Risk Reduction: How Data-Driven Is Your Program?

posted on Nov 09, 2022 Best Practices

Time to read: 4 minutes 30 seconds In the last 30 years, the number of reported fire deaths declined by nearly 50%. While the U.S. still averages 3,000 home fire…

5 Tips for an Effective QI Project for Your EMS Agency

posted on Jul 08, 2022 Best Practices

Quality Improvement projects can make a big impact in your EMS agency operations, helping processes run more efficiently, lightening the load on your providers, and even promoting more positive patient…

The Importance of CT Scans in Traumatic Brain Injuries

posted on May 25, 2022 Best Practices

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were approximately 61,000 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)-related deaths in the United States in 2019, translating to an average of…

Wearable Health Devices and New Data

posted on May 25, 2022 Best Practices

Wearable health trackers have become a widely accepted technology integrated into many Americans’ lives. No longer just simple step trackers, today’s wearables can track a wide range of health metrics…

Fire Data: Making the Connection from Output to Outcome

posted on Apr 12, 2022 Best Practices

Datapoints and metrics continue to play an important role in the day-to-day function of fire agencies. Outputs are Useful and Important With numerous reporting requirements at national and state levels,…

How to Improve EMS Inventory Management

posted on Mar 14, 2022 Best Practices

For EMS agencies, managing assets can not only improve operational efficiencies and budget use, but can also improve mission readiness and outcomes during incidents. Maintaining a more accurate understanding of…

Transitioning from Paper to Electronic Records

posted on Mar 11, 2022 Best Practices

If your fire department or EMS agency is still holding on to the old-school, paper-based ways of tracking incidents, equipment checks, supply levels, and even personnel records, the good news…

The Importance of Tracking Exposure in Firefighting

posted on Mar 11, 2022 Best Practices

Situational awareness is no longer just for the field. It’s a concept that can also be used after incidents and in down times. Having an understanding of your crew’s physical…

How Data Empower First Responders

posted on Mar 11, 2022 Best Practices

In an information-rich age, data are constantly flowing to and from devices, towers, and satellites. While it can seem overwhelming at times, data are a valuable tool in the hands…

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD

posted on Dec 23, 2021 Best Practices

The concept of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, or PTSD, is not a new concept today; most of us associate it with combat veterans or someone who has experienced an extreme negative…

3 Things to Know About ISO Inspections for Fire Departments

posted on Nov 12, 2021 Best Practices

If you’ve been in the fire industry for any substantial length of time, you’ve undoubtedly heard about Insurance Services Office (ISO) Inspections and their associated rankings. ISO’s Public Protection Classification…

How to Identify (and Win) Fire Department Grants

posted on Oct 12, 2021 Best Practices

Fire departments, especially volunteer fire departments, are constantly faced with the challenge of keeping communities safe while staying within budget. Tightening budgets and limited resources require departments to be more…

EMS Data Insights: Rising Opioid Overdose Rates

posted on Sep 20, 2021 Data & Analytics

To first responders on the ground every day, it’s no secret that the United States has – for decades now – been experiencing a healthcare crisis when it comes to…

HIPAA Compliance and Telehealth

posted on Aug 25, 2021 Best Practices

In this digital age, keeping personal identification information secure is a priority. Entire industries have been created that focus solely on helping people protect their digital footprint with robust passwords,…

The Importance of STEMI Door-to-Balloon Time

posted on Aug 05, 2021 Best Practices

Hospitals and EMS agencies alike have long associated the rate of positive outcomes for certain patients with the rate at which he or she received treatment. And while some of…

EMS Health Data Analytics: How to Improve Analysis

posted on Apr 29, 2021 Best Practices

Quality data plays a key role in health care, and drives every decision that a provider makes to improve health outcomes for his or her patient. In the field of…

New 2021 ESO EMS Index Tracks Nationwide EMS Performance

posted on Apr 01, 2021 Best Practices

In one of the strangest and most disruptive years in recent American memory, EMS professionals continued to suit up every day and face the COVID-19 pandemic head on. And just…

7 Things You Should Know About Exchanging Data with EMS

posted on Mar 20, 2021 Data & Analytics

You may have heard of data exchanges between EMS and hospitals, but do you know how they work or exactly how they can benefit your hospital ED team? Sharing data…

3 Benefits of Prehospital Alerting Software for ED Teams

posted on Jan 29, 2021 Best Practices

In the fast-paced and stressful workflow of an Emergency Department, accurate communication is a valuable commodity. A failure in communication between health care professionals can have results ranging from mild…

How to Choose the Right ePCR for Your EMS Agency

posted on Jan 22, 2021 Data & Analytics

Most modern EMS agencies have seen the value of using electronic patient records, or ePCRs, to increase efficiencies in their procedures, create more accurate records, and make it easier to…

How ePCRs Improve Communication, Care, and EMS Operations

posted on Jan 12, 2021 Best Practices

Modern health care is an information-rich endeavor. Along the entire spectrum of care – from prehospital all the way to discharge and follow-up – patient data is critical in helping…

Hospital Core Measures Defined

posted on Dec 31, 2020 Best Practices

In an increasingly competitive industry, hospitals can use performance data to stay in compliance with The Joint Commission (TJC) and expedite reimbursements from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)…

Benefits of Cloud-Based EMS

posted on Dec 31, 2020 Best Practices

As communication methods for first responders and prehospital health care professionals continue to modernize – and sharing data digitally becomes more critical than ever – many EMS agencies are taking…

5 Reasons NFIRS Data Matters to Your Fire Department

posted on Dec 23, 2020 Best Practices

It’s a regular part of the business for fire departments these days: collecting and submitting data to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) regularly. And while NFIRS has its own top 3…

What is NFIRS?

posted on Dec 21, 2020 Data & Analytics

Data is a powerful tool in painting an accurate picture of the U.S. fire industry for creating helpful and necessary legislation, planning budgets, and more. But just like any set…

EMS Data Collection: Tips for Improving Data Quality

posted on Dec 17, 2020 Best Practices

Just like any business or industry, EMS agencies benefit from regular assessments, QI/QA projects and accurate reporting that allows benchmarking and easily shared metrics. However, the ability to trust these…

4 Ways to Keep Your Fire Station Organized

posted on Dec 15, 2020 Data & Analytics

A fire department is much more than the image of firefighters running to the fire truck and speeding off to a burning building. While that is, of course, the most…

How EMS Data is Helping Document Emerging COVID-19 Symptoms

posted on Dec 05, 2020 Data & Analytics

As the U.S. continues to wage war on the COVID-19 virus across a wide range of demographic populations, the medical community is beginning to develop a more concrete understanding of…

2020’s Best ePCR Software: How ESO EHR Revolutionizes ePCRs

posted on Nov 30, 2020 Best Practices

Digital information is the key to modern life; with the pervasive nature of smart phones and device, the Cloud, and city-wide wireless networks, information is at our finger tips, 24…

What is a Trauma Registry?

posted on Nov 20, 2020 Best Practices

For hospitals around the world, data and databases are the keys to improving processes, improving patient outcomes, and better understanding one’s community. While medical professionals have reviewed and analyzed trends…

Changing COVID-19 Age Demographics Illustrated By EMS Data

posted on Nov 20, 2020 Data & Analytics

As the United States braces for what appears to be the anticipated “second wave” of COVID-19 cases, EMS professionals continue to work diligently on the front lines. Now, more than…

PPE Reuse Data: EMS Often Forced to Reuse N-95 Respirators

posted on Oct 29, 2020 Data & Analytics

Of all the changes, adaptions, and extreme circumstances faced by health professionals during the Coronavirus pandemic, one of the more concerning has been the forced reuse of PPE and N95…

3 Data Points You Need in Your Emergency Department

posted on Oct 23, 2020 Best Practices

Emergency Departments are often a place of controlled chaos; alarms ringing, people rushing, ambulance crews arriving and leaving. The most serious patients need immediate attention and face life-threatening circumstances where…

What is NEMSIS?

posted on Oct 23, 2020 Data & Analytics

It’s estimated that there are currently more than 21,000 EMS agencies operating in the United States. This is great news for communities since it means that emergency care is most…

Components of CRR: The 5 E’s of Community Risk Reduction

posted on Oct 12, 2020 Best Practices

A fire department knows its community probably more intimately than almost any other organization out there. From going inside people’s homes on medical calls, to inspecting new construction, to driving…

What are Sentinel Events? (And How to Reduce Them)

posted on Oct 06, 2020 Best Practices

Note: This blog was updated in July 2022 with more current data on number and types of sentinel events. Even in the top-functioning, best-maintained hospital facilities, medical errors can happen….

5 Mistakes to Avoid when Buying a New Fire RMS

posted on Sep 16, 2020 Best Practices

For fire departments looking to improve efficiencies and get more use out of their own data, a digital fire records management system (RMS) can make getting insight into operations easier…

How Can Trauma Registries Leverage EMS Data?

posted on Sep 12, 2020 Best Practices

Hospitals and trauma registrars are well-aquatinted with state and regional requirements that require the inclusion of EMS data into trauma registries. However, the collection and representation of this data can…

Spreadsheet vs. Software: What’s Best for Asset Management?

posted on Sep 10, 2020 Best Practices

If you’ve spent any significant amount of time working in a fire department, you’re well-familiar with an important (but sometimes tedious) job of asset management. Hours spent meticulously doing checks…

Using the ESO EMS Index to Put Data into Practice

posted on Sep 10, 2020 Best Practices

If you’ve ever wondered how your agency compares to its peers – or about trends in the EMS industry as a whole – the ESO EMS Index gives you answers….

How Analytics Help EMS Agencies Make Better Decisions

posted on Sep 10, 2020 Best Practices

Whether your EMS agency is working to develop your next QI project or need a quick overview of all the agencies in your system, real-world data is key in making…

How to Share Your EMS & Fire Story with Data

posted on Sep 10, 2020 Best Practices

Large-scale change and legislation are important in driving improvements in the fire and EMS industry. However, a key component of making change happen is in the ability of fire departments…

Identifying EMS Data Trends to Improve Patient Safety

posted on Sep 10, 2020 Best Practices

From an industry-level view, down to your own agency datapoints, the ability to use real-world EMS data to make improvements in your agency is invaluable. Learn how data collected in…

How Software Helps Firefighters & EMS Work Smarter Together

posted on Sep 10, 2020 Best Practices

Better communication between healthcare providers and first responders along the spectrum of care – both prehospital and hospital– can have real benefits for patients, communities, and agencies. Learn how ePCR,…

Dream Team: Who Should Help Select Your Next ePCR?

posted on Sep 04, 2020 Best Practices

Purchasing a new electronic patient care record (ePCR) tool can be an investment for your agency on many levels. Besides the initial cost of purchase and training, you’ll use this…

5 Signs You Need a New ePCR

posted on Sep 01, 2020 Best Practices

Since the migration to electronic patient care records (ePCRs) in the late 2010s, software has become an increasingly important part of the daily experience for a medic. We all use…

Creating Quality Improvement in Your EMS Agency

posted on Aug 31, 2020 Best Practices

Having access to high-quality data is imperative to creating effective quality improvement projects. See how ESO tools simplify your data gathering and allow you to focus on the changes you…

5 Tips for Planning Your Fire Department’s Budget

posted on Aug 28, 2020 Best Practices

Fire departments across the country are feeling the squeeze of tighter budgets and making do with less. Sometimes pitching your budgetary needs can feel like going into battle, but it…

3 Time-Saving Tips for Trauma Registrars

posted on Aug 26, 2020 Best Practices

A trauma registrar’s job is full of data points, attention to detail, and – unfortunately – hours often spent making follow up emails and calls to track down missing information….

What is the Cost of a Fire RMS?

posted on Aug 24, 2020 Best Practices

More and more fire departments are today moving towards using automated, fire-specific record management systems (RMS) to maintain operations data for their stations. From employee HR records and scheduling to…

Amplify Your CRR Efforts in 3 Steps

posted on Aug 21, 2020 Best Practices

An effective community risk reduction (CRR) program can be a powerful tool for a fire department looking to improve the overall safety of its community. Whether you are installing fire…

Can Hospitals Share COVID-19 Data with EMS? Yes!

posted on Aug 07, 2020 Best Practices

As healthcare professionals and administrators continue to adapt to working in COVID-era conditions – caring for patients while also taking extra steps to keep their providers safe – many hospitals…

Starting a Community Outreach Program in Fire & EMS

posted on Aug 04, 2020 Best Practices

Every year, EMS and fire departments host a variety of outreach efforts, also known as community risk reduction (CRR) programs, to improve their communities’ health and safety proactively. From school…

Unlock Your Fire Data Story

posted on Jul 29, 2020 Best Practices

Fire departments are increasingly being asked to share data that offers greater insight into what they do on a daily basis, as well as the value they bring to their…

Why You Need Cloud-based Software

posted on Jul 23, 2020 Best Practices

   Transcript: Hello, my name is Bill Gardner. I’m a retired fire chief with 35 years experience in public safety, both fire and EMS. One of the most difficult…

Why Hospitals Need EMS Data During COVID-19

posted on Jul 16, 2020 Best Practices

While some hospitals across the nation are slowly recovering from the massive first wave of COVID-19 cases – and others are gearing up to battle the growing second wave –…

3 Must-Have ePCR Integrations

posted on Jul 14, 2020 Best Practices

Digital patient records – also known as electronic patient care records or ePCRs – offer countless benefits in prehospital care. From built-in analytics, easier-to-complete forms, and less paperwork post-call, ePCR…

Fire RMS Basics: Software That Benefits Fire Departments

posted on Jul 07, 2020 Best Practices

Today’s fire departments are increasingly facing the blessing and the curse of large amounts of data. From incident reports and inspections to personnel information and electronic patient care records (ePCRs),…

Webinar: How to Select Your New ePCR

posted on Jun 18, 2020 Best Practices

As department’s needs change, compliance requirements evolve, and technologies mature, EMS leaders have a responsibility to ensure their patient record solution is up to snuff. Whether making the big leap…

ESO Releases Next-Gen Version of ESO Fire Software Suite

posted on Jun 03, 2020 Company Updates

Built on decades of service to the fire industry and a wide network of industry professionals and partners, ESO recently released the newest version of its fire-specific record management system…

4 Types of Data Every Fire Department Should Be Collecting

posted on Jun 02, 2020 Best Practices

Today’s fire industry continues to evolve to better incorporate a wide range of data available from both incident response and department operations. Going beyond the reactive mode of simply responding…

Better Care & Easier Reporting with EMS & Fire Software

posted on May 27, 2020 Best Practices

Gone are the days of recording patient feedback with paper and pencil, and spending hours compiling reports from different systems. Integrated software – designed to address the numerous inputs from…

Better Patient Care with ESO Alerting & HDE

posted on May 26, 2020 Data & Analytics

Reduce barriers of communication between prehospital and hospital care with tools that deliver valuable patient data in real time, from the scene. Seamless and bidirectional sharing of patient information not…

What Firefighters Want from Technology

posted on May 20, 2020 Best Practices

A recent study of the global fire service is indicating that agencies across the world are experiencing a paradigm shift in not only how they are currently use data, but…

Two New Grants Help Fire Agencies Amid the COVID-19 Battle

posted on Apr 23, 2020 Best Practices

EMS agencies and first responders continue to fight COVID-19 on the frontlines in a health emergency unprecedented in recent history. And while health care professionals face the most immediate risks…

Preplan Today, Protect Tomorrow

posted on Apr 07, 2020 Best Practices

Data is everywhere on the fire field and information is constantly being recorded and shared. Whether it is new “smart” PPE that can monitor hazardous chemicals in the air, trucks…

Fire Trends Report: Number of EMS calls vs. Fire Calls

posted on Nov 25, 2019 Best Practices

As an industry leader in fire, pre-hospital, and hospital industries, ESO encounters a wealth of data from its clients and partners. Each year, fire data is collected and analyzed to…

Fire Trends 2019 Report: Most Common Types of Fire Calls

posted on Nov 22, 2019 Best Practices

You most likely know what the most common types of calls your fire agency receives on a regular basis; much of it depends on your communities and their particular characteristics….

‘DOCUMENT’ to Improve Run Reports for Your EMS Agency

posted on Sep 25, 2019 Best Practices

Accurate documentation for EMS agencies is key to success both in the field, and in the office. Not only does it improve patient outcomes, it also provides accurate claims processing,…

Women and Minority Groups Remain Underrepresented in EMS

posted on Sep 23, 2019 Best Practices

Talk of “workplace diversity” is nothing new across many industries. But when it comes to healthcare and emergency medicine, creating a workforce that reflects the communities being served can help…

Why First Responders Face Increased Risk for PTSD, Suicide

posted on Aug 23, 2019 Best Practices

For most Americans, a typical day at the office comes with the usual ups and downs, some stress, difficult clients, perhaps some inner-office politics. For first responders, on the other…

Industry Insight: EMS Rates of Complete Stroke Assessments

posted on Aug 23, 2019 Best Practices

At the end of 2018, ESO released its second annual EMS Index, an in-depth report covering key data points and trends in the EMS industry, based on more than 7.58…

4 Reasons Why Your EMS Data is Important to NEMSIS

posted on Aug 07, 2019 Best Practices

If you are a part of an EMS agency in any U.S. state – or the majority of U.S. territories – you undoubtedly are aware of the efforts of the…

ESO EHR: The Modern ePCR for EMS

posted on Jul 31, 2019 Data & Analytics

An electronic patient care record (ePCR) is a digital document containing key patient information, assessments, treatments, narrative, and signatures. Before ePCRs arriving on scene, EMS agencies, ambulances, and fire departments…

5 Ways Inspection Makes Fire Response More Efficient

posted on Jul 29, 2019 Best Practices

For fire agencies everywhere, inspecting properties within a community is a key role that fulfills not only national, state, and local safety requirements but can actually help increase efficiencies within…

6 Key Data Points Every Fire Department Should Analyze

posted on Jul 11, 2019 Best Practices

Data in the fire industry has been a forefront topic in recent years, and for good reason. Tracking and analyzing data, statistics, and trends can be an extremely powerful tool…

More Power with Integrated ePCR & Fire Software

posted on Jul 02, 2019 Best Practices

If you’ve ever found yourself painfully re-entering data from a call from one software tool to another, you’ve probably felt the frustration of those duplicated efforts. With numerous other tasks…

Selecting Your Next QI Project: Let the Data Be Your Guide

posted on Apr 25, 2019 Best Practices

When it comes to improving the health and safety of our EMS professionals, patients, and communities, we all want to do better. If your EMS agency is like most, there’s…

10 Signs You Need a New Fire RMS

posted on Apr 11, 2019 Best Practices

If you work at a fire department you use software every day to document calls, perform checks, run reports and more. Software has become an integral part of the fire…

How One Fire Agency Made the Switch to More Useful Data

posted on Apr 08, 2019 Best Practices

For today’s professional EMS and fire agencies, data analysis is a necessary component of daily operating procedures. Not only does it ensure that your agency remains in compliance and can…

Screening Tool Optimizes EMS Mental Health Transports

posted on Apr 05, 2019 Best Practices

There are more than 7.4 million mental health–related emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. every year, and of these, approximately 30 percent arrive by ambulance. Unfortunately, due to a…

Fighting PTSD in the Firehouse

posted on Apr 03, 2019 Best Practices

They’re heroic and brave and can handle any situation. They run towards danger while others are running away. They enter a fire and emerge with rescued people, animals, property. They…

Take Aim to Create Meaningful Process Improvement

posted on Mar 11, 2019 Best Practices

If you’ve ever had a quality improvement project spin its wheels and get nowhere – or put countless hours of effort and work into implementing an intervention just to have…

Battling Rising Readmission Rates for Stroke

posted on Jan 30, 2019 Best Practices

It is predicted that an additional 3.4 million U.S. adults will have had a stroke by 2030, a 20.5% increase in prevalence from 2012. With this rising prevalence of strokes,…

The Best Data to Illustrate a Fire Department’s Value

posted on Jan 23, 2019 Best Practices

Although firefighters primarily think of people they protect and serve as members of their community, they are, in fact, also customers. And just like any business, it’s important for executives…

Improve EMS Metrics: 3 Crucial Steps

posted on Jan 11, 2019 Best Practices

Performance metrics are becoming increasingly important in the health care industry, and EMS agencies are beginning to feel the effect. “Value-based health care” is on the rise and the percentage…

Big Data for Firefighting: 4 Real-World Benefits

posted on Oct 07, 2018 Data & Analytics

You may hear the term “Big Data” thrown around quite a bit these days, in a wide range of applications, from high-tech industries to consumer applications like smart phones, fitness…

Emergency Department Costs, Severity of Cases on the Rise

posted on Sep 06, 2018 Data & Analytics

A recent study is showing that emergency department spending per patient has nearly doubled from 2009 to 2016 – with a marked increase in the number of highest severity ratings…

It’s Coming – The 2018 EMS Index: Mid-Year Update

posted on Aug 14, 2018 Best Practices

Earlier this year, we identified a number of trends we believed would have an impact on EMS organizations in 2018. The prevailing theme is data. Or, rather, the need for…

The Benefits of SaaS and The Cloud for First Responders

posted on Aug 02, 2018 Data & Analytics

You may often hear about “The Cloud” or SaaS solutions – short for “software as a service” – and wonder if and how this could benefit the business of first…

The Future of Healthcare Analytics

posted on Jul 27, 2018 Best Practices

As healthcare providers and administrators continue to pursue the so-called Triple Aim – to improve patient experience of care, to improve the health of populations, and to reduce the per…

5 Ways Data Improves the Patient Experience

posted on Jul 03, 2018 Best Practices

Data is available in an over-abundance in health care settings, and a patient’s experience is becoming more and more digitized. The key, however, is knowing how to process and use…

A Cheat Sheet for Fire and EMS

posted on Jun 29, 2018 Data & Analytics

Does the thought of statistics make you a little queasy? You’re not alone: According to a recent study, only 0.06247% of firefighters and EMS personnel like statistics. (And yes, we…

How the Internet of Things Impacts Health Care

posted on Jun 12, 2018 Best Practices

As a wide range of industries rely more and more on the Internet of Things (IoT) to make life more seamless, individuals are recording and sharing information at unprecedented levels….

A Look at Data-Driven Decisions for Fire Depts. – Part 4

posted on May 16, 2018 Data & Analytics

As a fire department, are you effective? Are you making defensible decisions for things like staffing, operations, budget? If you answered yes, Captain with the Fayetteville (NC) Fire/Emergency Management Dept….

3 Features In Fire Inspection & Pre-Planning Software

posted on May 14, 2018 Best Practices

Whether your fire agency has a dedicated fire inspector, or the task falls to a combination of staff and field personnel, inspection and pre-planning is an important and necessary part…

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