TEXAS EMS WRISTBAND PROJECT

TEXAS EMS WRISTBAND PROJECT

Overview

INTRODUCTION / OVERVIEW

NCTTRAC is providing Texas EMS Wristbands and EMS Triage Wristbands to EMS & Hospitals in Trauma Service Area – E to address two long-standing state-wide challenges:

  1. To link pre-hospital and hospital records across disparate electronic medical record systems and throughout the continuum of care
  2. To track patients during mass casualty incidents (MCI), evacuations, and disasters

Texas EMS Wristbands and EMS Triage Wristbands are FREE on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS while supplies and funds remain available.  Wristbands will be appropriately distributed to DSHS-licensed EMS agencies and hospitals to facilitate EMS transports, inter-facility transfers, and/or other NCTTRAC approved situations or events in which wristbands may be needed or required. 

The Texas EMS Wristband and EMS Triage Wristband are available through NCTTRAC.  While either wristband may be used interchangeably, each wristband was designed for specific use based on cost-effectiveness and functionality. 

Texas EMS Wristband:  For everyday use by EMS & Hospitals as outlined below

 

 

EMS Triage Wristband: For use by EMS only during mass casualty incidents (MCI) as outlined below

 

Both wristband versions allow EMS agencies to meet EMS providers licensure requirement – TAC 157.11(k),(7),(J) which states:  “Each vehicle will carry 25 triage tags in coordination with the Regional Advisory Council (RAC).”

Program Requirements

PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS / RESPONSIBILITIES

 

NCTTRAC recommends and encourages EMS & Hospitals to follow the program expectations and responsibilities outlined herein.  At the minimum, EMS & Hospitals MUST be enrolled in Pulsara, have active Pulsar user accounts, and be willing to utilize Pulsara in MCI events as indicated below in order to receive Texas EMS Wristbands and/or EMS Triage Wristbands through NCTTRAC:

           

  • EMS:  For everyday use

    1. Place a Texas EMS Wristband on EVERY patient, EVERY day, by air or ground, transport or transfer to a destination facility. Preferentially place the wristband on the patient’s left wrist to minimize facility procedure interference.
    2. Upload the wristband’s unique identifier via the Pulsara platform and send communications to the destination facility, preferably prior to arrival.
    3. Enter the wristband’s unique identifier into a pre-identified, query-able National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) compliant field within the EMS agency’s electronic patient care report (ePCR).

 

  • EMS:  For MCI events only

    1. Use the EMS Triage Wristband for MCIs only, if not available, use a Texas EMS Wristband.   Regardless, the patient should receive only one wristband.
    2. Upload the wristband’s unique identifier via the Pulsara platform and send communications to the destination facility, preferably prior to arrival.
    3. Enter the wristband’s unique identifier into a pre-identified, query-able National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) compliant field within the EMS agency’s electronic patient care report (ePCR).

 

  • Hospitals:  When receiving patients with either a Texas EMS Wristband or an EMS Triage Wristband
    1. Acknowledge receipt of EMS communications via the Pulsara platform, preferably prior to EMS arrival.
    2. Leave the wristband in place and do not remove.
    3. Enter the wristband’s unique identifier into a pre-identified query-able field within the facility’s electronic health record (EHR). 
    4. If a wristband is accidentally removed – place a new wristband on the patient, cover or cross out the new barcode and unique identifier, and write the previous wristband’s unique identifier on the new wristband using a permanent marker

 

  • Hospitals:  For inter-facility transfers

    1. Place a Texas EMS Wristband on the patient (if one is not already in place)
    2. Enter the wristband’s unique identifier into a pre-identified query-able field within the facility’s ER prior to patient  transfer.
    3. If a wristband is accidentally removed – place a new wristband on the patient, cover or cross out the new barcode and unique identifier, and write the previous wristband’s unique identifier on the new wristband using a permanent marker

 

  • EMS & Hospitals:
    1. Must be currently enrolled in Pulsara for MCI Patient Tracking.
    2. Must have active Pulsara user accounts.
    3. Must be willing to utilize the Pulsara platform as indicated for MCI events.

For information or help with enrolling in Pulsara CLICK HERE

Acquisition / Distribution

ACQUISITION / DISTRIBUTION

For Texas EMS Wristbands (EMS & Hospitals)

    • EMS may receive an amount equal to the number of the EMS agency’s recorded runs reported to DSHS in 2022
    • Hospitals may receive an amount equal to the number of their interfacility transports from the previous year. 
    • To receive your Texas EMS Wristbands CLICK HERE

For EMS Triage Wristbands  (EMS Only)

    • For placement on all EMS/FRO/Fire response units (engines, trucks, ambulances, EMS Supervisors, etc.) for use specifically during an MCI
    • EMS may receive a bundle of 25 EMS Triage Wristbands per apparatus
    • To receive your Texas EMS Wristbands CLICK HERE
Additional Resources

FOR QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Contact Jim Dickerson: jdickerson@ncttrac.org

 

Texas EMS Wristband One-page

Click Here for Video Playlist
Click Here for Video Playlist
EMS Provider - Wristband Request Portal
Hospital Provider - Wristband Request Portal
Texas EMS Wristband Training Material PowerPoint
EMS Enrollment - Pulsara United
Hospital Enrollment - Pulsara One
Prehospital Patient Notifications - Daily Use Training Resources
Incident Management & Patient Tracking - MCI Use Training Resources

 

 

FOR QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

 

EHS2@ncttrac.org

 

Warehouse: 817.607.7002                             Direct: 817.608.0390

Overview

INTRODUCTION / OVERVIEW

NCTTRAC is providing Texas EMS Wristbands and EMS Triage Wristbands to EMS & Hospitals in Trauma Service Area – E to address two long-standing state-wide challenges:

  1. To link pre-hospital and hospital records across disparate electronic medical record systems and throughout the continuum of care
  2. To track patients during mass casualty incidents (MCI), evacuations, and disasters

Texas EMS Wristbands and EMS Triage Wristbands are FREE on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS while supplies and funds remain available.  Wristbands will be appropriately distributed to DSHS-licensed EMS agencies and hospitals to facilitate EMS transports, inter-facility transfers, and/or other NCTTRAC approved situations or events in which wristbands may be needed or required. 

The Texas EMS Wristband and EMS Triage Wristband are available through NCTTRAC.  While either wristband may be used interchangeably, each wristband was designed for specific use based on cost-effectiveness and functionality. 

Texas EMS Wristband:  For everyday use by EMS & Hospitals as outlined below

 

 

EMS Triage Wristband: For use by EMS only during mass casualty incidents (MCI) as outlined below

 

Both wristband versions allow EMS agencies to meet EMS providers licensure requirement – TAC 157.11(k),(7),(J) which states:  “Each vehicle will carry 25 triage tags in coordination with the Regional Advisory Council (RAC).”

Program Requirements

PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS / RESPONSIBILITIES

 

NCTTRAC recommends and encourages EMS & Hospitals to follow the program expectations and responsibilities outlined herein.  At the minimum, EMS & Hospitals MUST be enrolled in Pulsara, have active Pulsar user accounts, and be willing to utilize Pulsara in MCI events as indicated below in order to receive Texas EMS Wristbands and/or EMS Triage Wristbands through NCTTRAC:

           

  • EMS:  For everyday use

    1. Place a Texas EMS Wristband on EVERY patient, EVERY day, by air or ground, transport or transfer to a destination facility. Preferentially place the wristband on the patient’s left wrist to minimize facility procedure interference.
    2. Upload the wristband’s unique identifier via the Pulsara platform and send communications to the destination facility, preferably prior to arrival.
    3. Enter the wristband’s unique identifier into a pre-identified, query-able National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) compliant field within the EMS agency’s electronic patient care report (ePCR).

 

  • EMS:  For MCI events only

    1. Use the EMS Triage Wristband for MCIs only, if not available, use a Texas EMS Wristband.   Regardless, the patient should receive only one wristband.
    2. Upload the wristband’s unique identifier via the Pulsara platform and send communications to the destination facility, preferably prior to arrival.
    3. Enter the wristband’s unique identifier into a pre-identified, query-able National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) compliant field within the EMS agency’s electronic patient care report (ePCR).

 

  • Hospitals:  When receiving patients with either a Texas EMS Wristband or an EMS Triage Wristband
    1. Acknowledge receipt of EMS communications via the Pulsara platform, preferably prior to EMS arrival.
    2. Leave the wristband in place and do not remove.
    3. Enter the wristband’s unique identifier into a pre-identified query-able field within the facility’s electronic health record (EHR). 
    4. If a wristband is accidentally removed – place a new wristband on the patient, cover or cross out the new barcode and unique identifier, and write the previous wristband’s unique identifier on the new wristband using a permanent marker

 

  • Hospitals:  For inter-facility transfers

    1. Place a Texas EMS Wristband on the patient (if one is not already in place)
    2. Enter the wristband’s unique identifier into a pre-identified query-able field within the facility’s ER prior to patient  transfer.
    3. If a wristband is accidentally removed – place a new wristband on the patient, cover or cross out the new barcode and unique identifier, and write the previous wristband’s unique identifier on the new wristband using a permanent marker

 

  • EMS & Hospitals:
    1. Must be currently enrolled in Pulsara for MCI Patient Tracking.
    2. Must have active Pulsara user accounts.
    3. Must be willing to utilize the Pulsara platform as indicated for MCI events.

For information or help with enrolling in Pulsara CLICK HERE

Acquisition / Distribution

ACQUISITION / DISTRIBUTION

For Texas EMS Wristbands (EMS & Hospitals)

    • EMS may receive an amount equal to one-half of the EMS agency’s recorded runs reported to DSHS in 2021
    • Hospitals may receive an amount equal to of one-half of their interfacility transports from the previous year. 
    • To receive your Texas EMS Wristbands CLICK HERE

For EMS Triage Wristbands  (EMS Only)

    • For placement on all EMS/FRO/Fire response units (engines, trucks, ambulances, EMS Supervisors, etc.) for use specifically during an MCI
    • EMS may receive a bundle of 25 EMS Triage Wristbands per apparatus
    • To receive your Texas EMS Wristbands CLICK HERE
Additional Resources

FOR QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Contact Jim Dickerson: jdickerson@ncttrac.org

 

Texas EMS Wristband One-page

Click the Image to view the Training Video series.

 

EMS Provider - Wristband Request Portal
Hospital Provider - Wristband Request Portal
Texas EMS Wristband Training Material PowerPoint
EMS Enrollment - Pulsara United
Hospital Enrollment - Pulsara One
Prehospital Patient Notifications - Daily Use Training Resources
Incident Management & Patient Tracking - MCI Use Training Resources

 

 

FOR QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

 

EHS2@ncttrac.org

 

Warehouse: 817.607.7002                             Direct: 817.608.0390

X
X
PopUp