Network Cameras Enable Ambulances to Provide the Right Care Faster. Cloud-Based Camera Solution Gives Support to Paramedics

Case study Network cameras enable ambulances to provide the right care faster. Cloud-based camera solution gives support to paramedics. Organization: Prehospital ICT Arena at Lindholmen Science Park Location: Gothenburg, Sweden Industry segment: Healthcare Application: Safety and security, remote monitoring and guidance Mission When a person has a stroke, getting the right care in This means the right care can be provided as quickly time is crucial. Pre-hospital ICT Arena at Lindholmen as possible. Wireless communication between the Science Park (PICTA), in partnership with Sahlgrenska ambulance and hospital is handled via 4G with a University Hospital, University of Borås, Ambulans- modem designed for mobile use. sjukvården i Västra Götalandsregionen [Emergency Medical Services in Region Västra Götaland] and Result Chalmers University of Technology, wanted to find new The solution was tested in full-scale simulations and ways for stroke patients to receive the appropriate care installed for live initial clinical testing. In the more quickly. simulations, the network video solution was shown to give the hospital staff a greater opportunity to diagnose Solution patients correctly as soon as they were in the Axis network cameras, coupled with the cloud-based ambulance. Quicker assessment and treatment of a solution AXIS Companion, designed for smaller stroke save lives and reduces the potential negative installations, are installed in ambulances in Region after-effects, which can be life-long. They also give Västra Götaland. This enables the ambulance crew to stroke survivors a better chance of living a high- receive support from neurological experts through functioning life, while at the same time creating greater video consultation so they could assess patients’ health-economic benefits for society at lower costs. conditions more accurately and decide whether they should be transported to the nearest local hospital or to a hospital with specialist care. Better and faster care saves lives When a person has a stroke, getting the right care in time is crucial. In Sweden, more than “ AXIS Companion 25,000 people suffer from acute strokes each year. Though it mainly affects older people, offers a quick and younger people can also be affected. A stroke is the somatic affliction that puts the greatest easy way for us to burden on hospitals and society with the highest costs and the greatest number of care days. test our concept. Axis Many of those who survive a stroke suffer life-long after-effects and, at worst, need permanent also has a reliable care in sheltered housing. and knowledgeable support service, which is incredibly “Some stroke patients can receive treatment that Reliable solution provides support in restores them to full health, provided they get the right real time valuable.” treatment in time,” says Lars Rosengren, Professor of A network video solution was initially installed in a test Neurology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the ambulance, followed by three operational ambulances Bengt Arne Sjöqvist, Professor Chair of the Regional Stroke Council in Region Västra in Region Västra Götaland. Axis network cameras, of Practice in Healthcare Götaland. coupled with the cloud-based AXIS Companion Informatics at Chalmers solution, designed for smaller installations, are installed University of Technology and If a stroke is suspected, the standard routine is for the in the ambulances. Programme Manager for PICTA patient to be taken to the nearest hospital to eliminate at Lindholmen Science Park. any “blockage” in the brain using treatment to reduce Each ambulance has three fixed-mount network blood clotting. If a scan at the time indicates a large cameras. One camera is positioned so it can film the blood clot causing blockage in a central blood vessel, patient’s entire body from the feet upwards. A second the patient must be immediately transported to a is positioned to get close-ups of the patient’s face, university hospital in Sweden that can surgically while a third provides a side view and an image of the remove the blood clot (thrombectomy). Half of all paramedic performing the examination. The positioning patients who receive this treatment within six hours was chosen to enable stroke doctors (vascular recover completely, meaning they can live an neurologists) at the hospital to see both the body and independent life. But the effect is time-dependent – the face as clearly as possible when making their simply put, the faster the better. assessment. In Region Västra Götaland, there is only one hospital Wireless communication between the ambulance crew that can perform thrombectomies – Sahlgrenska and hospital staff is handled via 4G with a modem University Hospital. This treatment is given when a designed for mobile use to ensure continuous scan has shown a blockage (blood clot) in any of the communication. The solution is easy to handle, and the major blood vessels of the brain. These patients are ambulance crew communicates with the stroke doctor generally the ones with the greatest symptoms in by mobile phone, which is standard practice today. terms of number and severity. Inside the ambulance, there is a tablet on which the ambulance crew can see the same video as the hospital “To shorten the time to thrombectomy, it would be of doctor. The images are streamed in real time, but are great value if ambulances with potential thrombectomy not recorded or stored. They only serve as an extension cases could be routed directly to Sahlgrenska instead of the telephone consultation. of the time consuming detour via the nearest hospital,” says Lars Rosengren. The advantages of Axis network cameras include their dependability, operational reliability and stability. The Ongoing work is under way to prevent and treat image quality is high, and the cameras are easy to strokes. Prehospital ICT Arena at Lindholmen Science handle and can be accommodated in the tight space of Park (PICTA) is making use of technology in pre- the ambulances. hospital care processes, and has undertaken a joint venture with Sahlgrenska University Hospital, “AXIS Companion offers a quick and easy way for us to University of Borås, Ambulanssjukvården i Västra test our concept. Axis also has a reliable and Götalandsregionen [Emergency Medical Services in knowledgeable support service, which is incredibly Region Västra Götaland] and Chalmers University of valuable,” says Bengt Arne Sjöqvist, Professor of Technology. The project focuses on finding new ways Practice in Healthcare Informatics at Chalmers for stroke patients to receive care as soon as possible University of Technology and Programme Manager for after they show symptoms. PICTA at Lindholmen Science Park. Expert knowledge to the ambulance Great human and socio-economic benefits Facts about stroke Real-time images via network video provides support Getting the right care more rapidly increases the Approximately 25,000 people to the ambulance crew who, together with the stroke chance of the stroke victim being able to resume a fully suffer from strokes each year doctor, can better examine and assess the patient’s functioning life after the stroke. It saves lives and in Sweden. While it mainly health at that particular time. reduces suffering for patients and their loved ones and affects older people, younger provides great health-economic benefits to society in people can also be affected. It The doctor can then make a more knowledgeable the form of lower disease costs. affects women and men medical assessment, diagnose and determine whether equally. In 85 per cent of the symptoms indicate a blockage in a large central “Society saves SEK 400,000 for each stroke patient cases, the stroke is caused by a blood vessel that needs to be treated with a treated with a thrombectomy if the treatment can be blockage or a blood clot, thrombectomy. This determines which hospital the given in time,” says Lars Rosengren. referred to as an ischaemic patient should be taken to, i.e. the nearest local stroke. In the other 15 per cent hospital or a hospital with specialist care. A future goal is to assess whether ambulances should of the cases, it is caused by also have a mobile camera that they can take with bleeding on the brain, referred “It gives the ambulance crew a sense of security to them to film the patient immediately on arrival at the to as a haemorrhagic stroke. have a specialised stroke doctor with them via a video scene, even before the patient has reached the link. In addition to the direct support in assessment, it ambulance. Then, the ultimate goal is for network Worldwide, one in six people also provides training as it helps the ambulance crew video to be used in additional units and operational are expected to have a stroke become even better at identifying and assessing a organisations. at some point in their lifetime. stroke,” says Bengt Arne Sjöqvist. Even if a person survives a “We are convinced the cameras can also be used for stroke, as many as 30 per cent “It may be difficult for the ambulance crew to assess other types of incidences, such as for trauma patients develop life-long after effects the patient’s condition correctly in order to determine or, with mobile cameras, to assess whether the patient and cannot resume living their whether he or she should be sent to a nearby hospital can actually be left in the home or would be better previous life. They instead for treatment to reduce blood clotting or directly to managed by primary care,” says Bengt Arne Sjöqvist. need help with everything Sahlgrenska University Hospital for a thrombectomy,” ranging from managing day to says Lars Rosengren. day tasks to, at worst, life- AXIS Companion VMS - cloud solution long care in sheltered housing. The large geographical distance in some areas also Video surveillance made simple (Sources: Stroke.se, MedTech makes video communication valuable as the closest > Easy and intuitive surveillance West, Prehospital ICT Arena).

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