Automated pre-arrival notification to receiving hospitals

Purpose

1. Streamline real-time communication between ambulance teams and hospitals to notify of incoming patients.

2. Ensure receiving hospitals have critical information (ETA, patient status, conditions, special needs) ahead of arrival.

3. Reduce emergency room bottlenecks and improve resource allocation for inbound emergencies.

4. Standardize and log all notifications for future audit, compliance, and care quality improvement.

5. Enable immediate escalation for cases requiring specialist involvement upon arrival.

Trigger Conditions

1. Dispatch status in EMS software changes to ‘Transporting’ or ‘En Route to Hospital’.

2. Crew member submits a pre-arrival notification form in ambulance EHR mobile app.

3. Real-time GPS or AVL event mapping patient is within a set distance or ETA threshold from hospital.

4. Manual button or voice command (e.g., “notify receiving hospital”) triggered from ambulance tablet or radio device.

5. Integration workflow triggers when critical vitals or triage status reach defined thresholds (e.g., major trauma).

Platform Variants

1. Twilio SMS

• Feature/Setting: Use Programmable Messaging API to send SMS alert; configure webhook from dispatch software to Twilio’s /Messages endpoint.
  

2. SendGrid

• Feature/Setting: Use Mail Send API for email alert; JSON payload with patient and ETA sent via /mail/send endpoint.
  

3. Microsoft Teams

• Feature/Setting: Configure Incoming Webhook in channel; send JSON payload with patient details, arrival time.
  

4. Slack

• Feature/Setting: Use Slack Webhook URL; post formatted JSON with ETA and clinical details to specific channel.
  

5. WhatsApp Business API

• Feature/Setting: Use /messages endpoint to send pre-templated notification to hospital’s WhatsApp number.
  

6. PagerDuty

• Feature/Setting: Create incident via Events API v2; include custom fields for patient and ETA.
  

7. ServiceNow

• Feature/Setting: Use Table API to create new incident record in hospital’s operations module.
  

8. Salesforce Health Cloud

• Feature/Setting: REST API to generate new Care Alert in patient’s record; include notification metadata.
  

9. Cisco Webex

• Feature/Setting: Use Webex REST API to push message to predesignated space for ER team.
  

10. Google Chat

• Feature/Setting: Use Chat REST API to send hospital room thread message with embedded info card.
  

11. OnPage

• Feature/Setting: Use REST API to trigger high-priority page to ER group with patient details.
  

12. MEDITECH Expanse

• Feature/Setting: HL7 FHIR API to add inbound Patient Notification communication resource.
  

13. Epic Systems

• Feature/Setting: FHIR endpoint to POST Communication resource containing ETA, notes.
  

14. Cerner Millennium

• Feature/Setting: FHIR API to send Encounter resource update with arrival notification extension.
  

15. Rhapsody Integration Engine

• Feature/Setting: Configure outbound HL7 ADT interface linking EMS dispatch with hospital's LIS.
  

16. Vonage Messages API

• Feature/Setting: REST API to send SMS, WhatsApp, or Viber alert to hospital’s designated contacts.
  

17. Surescripts Clinical Messaging

• Feature/Setting: Message API to send secure clinical notification to hospital’s EHR inbox.
  

18. RapidSOS Alerts

• Feature/Setting: Use API to trigger alert pop-up to hospital dashboard with geo-stamped ambulance status.
  

19. TigerConnect

• Feature/Setting: API to deliver critical event message to ER care team’s secure messaging app.
  

20. Microsoft Outlook

• Feature/Setting: Microsoft Graph API to auto-generate calendar event or flagged email for ER team.
  

21. Aircall

• Feature/Setting: Use API to trigger instant call to pre-set hospital number with recorded notification.
  

Benefits

1. Rapid, consistent transfer of critical patient and ETA info using preferred hospital communication medium.

2. Reduction in ramp-to-bed times and unnecessary waiting or duplication upon arrival.

3. Reliable escalation for high-risk or complex patient arrivals with automated rules-based routing.

4. Audit trail for regulatory compliance and post-event review.

5. More efficient deployment of staff, equipment, and resources for each inbound patient.