Challenge Awards Spotlight: Orange County’s EMS Data-Sharing Project Improves Emergency Care

When paramedics respond to a medical emergency, seconds can mean the difference between life and death. Orange County’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) recognized that improving the way information is shared between field responders and hospitals could dramatically impact patient care—and they acted on it.

Orange County’s Bi-Directional Data Exchange Project, a recipient of a 2024 CSAC Challenge Award, connects the County’s EMS data platform (OC-MEDS) with the electronic health record systems of 21 local hospitals. This integration allows paramedics to send patient reports directly to hospital systems while en route, giving emergency room staff critical information before the patient even arrives. After treatment, hospitals send diagnosis and outcome data back to EMS providers—helping them understand what happened next and improving future patient care.

This real-time data exchange enhances communication, streamlines decision-making, and strengthens training and quality improvement efforts for EMS teams. The project has also reduced paperwork and duplicated effort, allowing healthcare providers to focus more on patients and less on logistics.

Orange County’s forward-thinking approach demonstrates how technology can bridge gaps in emergency care and create lasting benefits for patients, providers, and communities.

To learn more about this project and other award-winning programs, visit https://www.counties.org/news-and-media-article/2024-challenge-awards/