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New app saves time and lives in Northern Kentucky

Posted at 6:35 PM, Apr 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-04 15:38:03-04

COVINGTON, Ky. -- Minutes matter when saving lives.

Now, new mobile technology is allowing first responders to share vital information more quickly.

Since the start of the new year, Independence EMS crews have added a new tool: Pulsara. It's a mobile app designed to improve the care for heart attack and stroke patients.

"It's user friendly and it makes our jobs a lot easier," Independence paramedic Rick Arens said.

It starts with a simple snap of a picture. Then information goes to the people who need it, like the heart and vascular team at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. The doctors gets a direct notification sent to their phones that include a picture of the patient's EKG, basically a snapshot of their heart function.

The information is then sent to everyone on the medical team who will help in the patient's treatment.

"You don't have to wait at all, and that may be valuable time because time is muscle," Dr. D.P. Suresh said.

Pulsara has reduced the time from "first medical contact" to treatment by 30 percent in Northern Kentucky, according to St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

"We have easily shaved off about 15-20 minutes just with the help of this app," Suresh said.

Other cities like Newport, Erlanger and Hebron have also recently put the Pulsara app to use. Covington also expects to use it starting April 15.