FAQ
FAQ
Questions & Answers
1. What are the system requirements for MCA ePCR?
2. Does MCA ePCR require an Internet connection to use?
3. How do we access runs after they have been transmitted?
4. How long are our runs accessible on the website?
5. Can we run statistical reports on our data?
6. How does MCA ePCR handle QA or QC?
7. Can MCA ePCR be manipulated or “customized” to fit the needs of our individual agency?
8. How do we leave a copy of the run sheet at the hospital?
9. What if our agency has agency specific form like supply sheets?
10. Is hardware such as tablet PC and or scanners required in order to use MCA ePCR or can we just use desktop PC that we already have?
11. Can PDA’s (small handheld computers) be used to run MCA ePCR?
12. Will any tablet PC do the job?
13. How does MCA ensure that our patient care data is secure?
If you have any more questions please email us at comments@mcawv.com
1. What are the system requirements for MCA ePCR?
• 1.6Dual Core Processor
• 1GB RAM
• 60GB Hard Drive
• Windows XP Tablet Addition
• Long Battery Life
• Digitized Screen
• We also recommend a wireless network card, Bluetooth, and a rotating tablet screen with writing capability.
2. Does MCA ePCR require an Internet connection to use?
Yes and no. MCA ePCR does not require an Internet connection to input a EMS run but an Internet connection is required in order to transmit run data to MCA and/or the state. MCA ePCR was developed for field use and is intended to replace the current paper run sheet with tablet PC’s.
3. How do we access runs after they have been transmitted?
Your agency will have it own website that will archive all of your runs and keep a total count. Administrative Users will also have filtering tools that will let them search for a run or runs within a given date range, by run number, by truck, by city or by patient name. All runs are printable from this website.
4. How long are our runs accessible on the website?
Runs from your agency are stored on MCA severs for 2 years; therefore runs are accessible on the website for two years. After that time period MCA will send out a DVD containing all of your runs for the year in order to allow your agency to keep this data for the required amount of time.
5. Can we run statistical reports on our data?
Yes your agency will have 17 different reports that can be generated from call response time reports to procedure reports. These are generated from your agencies web site.
6. How does MCA ePCR handle QA or QC?
MCA ePCR has a built in validation system that will not allow runs to be transmitted until all required fields have been completed. It is still recommended to do quick data checks before transmitting for each run to ensure that data entered is accurate.
7. Can MCA ePCR be manipulated or “customized” to fit the needs of our individual agency?
Yes, this is done several ways. Your agency can add agency specific data from the website such as agency preferences which means your agency can set additional fields to be required above and beyond state required fields. Agency preferred fields will be highlighted in a different color so that they can be easily identified by crew members. Also your agencies administrators can add agency specific procedures and protocols. In addition your agency can add in other EMS agencies for mutual aid calls so that these agencies show up on a pick list in MCA ePCR. Further more new Elements can be added including new medications, facilities like hospitals or nursing homes as needed. Your agency can also enter local counties which will narrow down facility searches to only the corresponding counties.
8. How do we leave a copy of the run sheet at the hospital?
You will have a few options, you can see if the hospital can provide a printer for your squad or allow you to use an existing printer. If so printer can have a USB dongle cable attached so that your squad can plug into the attached USB cable and print right at the hospital. Another method is to have a printer in the ambulance. Printer can be relatively inexpensive; you could have a standard corded printer or a Bluetooth wireless printer which would allow your crew to print directly from the truck.
9. What if our agency has agency specific form like supply sheets?
MCA ePCR supports attachments. This means that any additional documents can be scanned into a particular run. Once the document has been scanned it will show up as a thumbnail image in a section labeled attachments on the EPCR. When a run is printed that contains attachments the attached documents will print as a full additional page. All attachments will also be archived so that when a run is accessed via the website the attachments will be viewable and printable from there as well.
10. Is hardware such as tablet PC and or scanners required in order to use MCA ePCR or can we just use desktop PC that we already have?
• Yes, a tablet PC is required for each ambulance for several reasons, namely because MCA ePCR is designed to make the job of a paramedic or EMT easier, quicker and more accurate. A tablet PC is basically a laptop computer in which the screen can be folded down on top of the keyboard to create a note book style laptop. Tablet PC’s have a different version of windows which incorporates hand writing recognition; this means that data can be entered with a pen tool called a stylus. MCA ePCR was designed with this in mind which means that any field in MCA ePCR that is not a drop down menu will give the user the option to write into that field with the stylus. This will convert the users natural hand writing into text and spell check it as it is written.
• Technically runs could be done in a traditional method by paper and then brought back to the station and reentered into MCA ePCR and then transmitted. This would cause crew members to redundantly enter data and have to scan in the hard copy report on each run so that the patient signatures are on record. This is not the preferred use of field data collection software but could serve as a back up in the case of hardware issues or failure.
11. Can PDA’s (small handheld computers) be used to run MCA ePCR?
Some other EPCR software supports the use of PDA’s, but not MCA ePCR. PDA devices do not have the same capabilities as tablet PC’s. They have much less computing and processing abilities due to their size. Any EPCR software that can be ran on a PDA will be very basic and would not include the rich user friendly features of MCA ePCR software.
12. Will any tablet PC do the job?
There are many tablet PC models that are sufficient for the use of MCA ePCR but we recommend Toshiba tablet for the lower price range or Panasonic Tuff books for the more rugged but higher price range. Even these tablets will need to match our minimum requirements which will be sent to customers who are just getting started. In most cases base model tablets will work but are not the preferred choice. Usually an extended battery life and an upgrade to the tablets RAM are preferred.
13. How does MCA ensure that our patient care data is secure?
Your agencies patient care data is stored on servers that are located in Huntington, WV here in our 20,000 square ft. building. Our office building is closed off to the public and requires all employees to use an ID card scanning mechanism to gain access to the building. Our servers are backed up twice per day for data protection. When your data has been purged from our system after two years you will receive a DVD containing all your runs annually. We will also keep a copy of the DVD in a safe here on site so that if something happens to your copy we will have one here as a second backup.
