Children's Mercy partners with Cerner, ESO Solutions and the Kansas City Fire Department to improve the capture of patient information

When a child is sick or injured, the care that local EMTs and paramedics provide can mean the difference between life and death. But the critical information that local first responders gather in the field or during transport doesn’t always make it into the hands of hospital caregivers in a timely and efficient manner.

But that’s all changing, thanks to an innovation through which Children’s Mercy will integrate its electronic health record (EHR) system into the documentation systems local EMS agencies use for capturing patient information in the field.

“The Kansas City metropolitan area is leading the country when it comes to integrating prehospital and hospital care,” says Children’s Mercy Chief Medical Information Officer Laura Fitzmaurice, MD.

“By streamlining the way we communicate and share data with first responders in the region, we’re advancing the already world-class care we provide for our pediatric patients at Children’s Mercy,” she adds.

CM Cerner ESO KCFD partnership

improves capture of patient information in the field

“Integrating the data systems not only helps hospital clinicians improve bedside decision-making – it also helps fire departments and EMS agencies provide better care,” says Tom Collins, Deputy Chief for the Kansas City (Mo.) Fire Department.

“First responders often treat and transport patients without ever learning the outcome of their efforts,” Collins says. “The ability for our EMTs and paramedics to receive feedback on the hospital outcomes for their patients will give us the information we need to learn, grow and enhance the way we take care of patients. It’s a big win for prehospital pediatric care in the Kansas City region.”

Children’s Mercy is partnering with ESO Solutions, a leading healthcare data company based in Austin, Texas, and locally based EHR leader Cerner to help make the integration become reality. The project went live in early August and is already showing extreme success.

Learn more about Children's Mercy Critical Care Transport.