The provincial government has equipped all ambulances in the Eastern Zone with a new electronic Patient Care Record system.

The system, also known as ePCR, replaces paper-based reporting with tablet computer systems.

It includes the instantaneous creation of clinical reports, the information from which can be provided to emergency department staff and can be integrated with the patient’s electronic health record.

The ePCR contains information such as the location of the request for service, ambulance response times, the reason for the call, and the record of care given by paramedics.

Quality and training specialist Jeff Thompson says any procedures performed or drugs administered during the call will immediately be documented.

He says the advantage of it being done electronically is that all the information is searchable and trends can be easily seen for specific regions, calls and many other aspects of an emergency situation.

Government anticipates that the ePCR technology will be implemented across all regions of the province as part of the transition to an integrated ambulance system throughout the next two years.