595 - How Real Time Sharing and Communication Improve Patient Care and Reduce Ambulance Ramping

Why It Matters

Real‑time sharing cuts ambulance idle time, boosts hospital throughput, and creates a more efficient, financially sustainable emergency care ecosystem.

Key Takeaways

• Ambulance ramping stems from increased ED demand and bed block
• Secondary triage and alternative pathways reduce unnecessary hospital transports
• Real‑time electronic patient records improve handover speed and accuracy
• Data sharing breaks silos between EMS, hospitals, and primary care
• Denmark’s 20‑year e‑record model guides Australian implementation efforts

Summary

The podcast episode examines ambulance “ramping” – paramedics stuck in emergency departments – and how real‑time data sharing can alleviate the bottleneck in Australia and abroad.

Hosts highlight that rising ED demand, reduced primary‑care access, and bed‑block cause prolonged handovers. Solutions discussed include secondary phone triage, diversion to urgent‑care clinics, GP or physiotherapy services, and non‑emergency transport for low‑acuity patients.

Lars Borup cites Denmark’s two‑decade experience with an electronic patient‑care record that streams vitals, interventions, and triage status to the receiving hospital instantly. Andrew Mitchell adds that dispatch centres now perform on‑call secondary triage, while paramedics can trigger “red‑tri” alerts with a single button.

Integrating these technologies promises faster handovers, better resource allocation, and fewer ambulances tied up in ED queues, delivering cost savings for ambulance services and hospitals while improving patient outcomes.

Original Description

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Lars Borup, Clinical Manager at Dedalus, and Andrew Mitchell, Paramedic Clinical Consultant for Australia and New Zealand, about the growing issue of ambulance ramping and the pressures facing paramedics and emergency departments.

They discuss the human and operational impacts of patients waiting outside hospitals, and the complex factors driving congestion, from changing social structures to system bottlenecks.

The conversation also explores digital solutions for streamlining patient handovers, including real-time data sharing, electronic patient care records, and coordinated care pathways.

Drawing on both local experiences and international models from Europe, Lars and Andrew highlight how improved communication between pre-hospital care and hospitals can reduce delays and optimise patient flow.

They also show how connecting with primary care providers supports better outcomes across the wider health system.

This episode highlights how technology, workflow improvements, and integrated care can transform emergency services.

Key Takeaways

🔄 Growing demand in healthcare leads to complex ambulance ramping and bed block challenges in Australia and globally

👨‍⚕️ Secondary triage and alternate care pathways are being developed to reduce hospital load

📱 Real-time electronic patient care records enable hospitals to prepare more effectively for incoming patients

🤝 Seamless communication and integrated data sharing between paramedics, hospitals, and primary care are critical for efficient transitions

🚑 Structured digital tools support paramedics in decision-making and workflow, leading to improved patient safety and quality

Timestamps

00:00 — Speaker introductions

05:19 — Why not just add resources?

07:47 — Is ramping just shifting the block?

10:23 — Transition and handover points

12:23 — Real-time electronic records in Denmark

17:26 — Pre-arrival notification in Australia

26:15 — Digital support tools for paramedics

28:40 — Unified ED and ambulance workflow

32:49 — Addressing ambulance ramping: Communication

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The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: https://community.talkinghealthtech.com/c/podcast/595-how-real-time-sharing-and-communication-improve-patient-care-and-reduce-ambulance-ramping-5a1f863d-34f0-4d09-a92b-fa5b57278266

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