POMPTON PLAINS, NJ (Morris County) – Atlantic Health System’s Chilton Medical Center has officially launched the innovative Twiage app across its emergency services.
The app enhances communication, coordination and response times between the hospital’s emergency department (ED) and emergency medical service (EMS) providers in the field to accelerate life-saving patient care.
Twiage enables real-time, two-way communication with EMS providers through their mobile devices. By facilitating seamless updates and faster information sharing, it significantly enhances Chilton Medical Center’s ED preparedness for incoming patients so that hospital care can begin even sooner.
Tania Cutone, RN, MSN, Chilton Medical Center’s ED nurse director, emphasizes the impact Twiage has on patient care. She says, “The Twiage app gives us immediate communication with our EMS providers through their phone or tablet, allowing for early and better ED preparations to be made to receive patients.”
One noteworthy example of the app’s effectiveness is its role in streamlining the process for potential stroke patients. Tania says, “An example of the benefits of this app and its usefulness is when potential stroke patients are being brought to us. Chilton Medical Center’s Code Stroke process brings patients directly from ambulance to a CT scan for quick diagnosis and interventions.”
Tania also noted that Chilton Medical Center’s current door-to-CT scan time is within six minutes, well below the New Jersey state requirement of 25 minutes. “This rapid response time offers us the ability for early intervention and recovery for stroke patients,” she says.
Chilton Medical Center’s adoption of the Twiage app underscores its commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance patient outcomes and delivering high-quality health care services to the community.
Atlantic Health System’s Newton Medical Center has been using the secure technology since 2018. Emergency Department Nurse Manager Douglas Cook, RN, says, “Twiage notifies us in a HIPAA-compliant way that a patient is coming to the ED — and gives us an in-depth picture of that patient.”
He explains that, in addition to sending details about a patient’s condition, Twiage can send photos, EKGs, or videos in real time so EDs can prepare for the patient’s arrival. It can also notify hospital specialists ahead of time. For instance, if the incoming patient has had a stroke, Twiage alerts the hospital’s stroke coordinator directly.
That’s exactly what happened when the Twiage system helped hospital personnel at Newton Medical Center prepare for the arrival of a 62-year-old female stroke victim. “She was at work and went to her supervisor’s office because she didn’t feel well and became unresponsive. An ambulance was called, and the EMS team sent us notifications so we could prepare for her, making sure the CT scanner was ready. We set up TESS, our Telestroke Electronic Stroke System at the bedside to connect with our neurology specialists at Overlook once she arrived.”
Prior to using Twiage, Chilton Medical Center and Newton Medical Center, along with many other New Jersey hospitals, relied on the public frequency HEAR, the Hospital Emergency Ambulance Radio system.
Twiage replaces HEAR radio and gives EMS teams a broader and more interactive way to communicate with emergency departments.
