State of Michigan EMS and Medical First Responder Electronic Reporting Mandate,.... Are You  Ready?????

The fast approaching State of Michigan electronic data-reporting mandate, Michigan PA 368 of 1978, Section 20910 (Michigan PA 375 of 2000) is just around the corner (refer to www.legislature.mi.gov for electronic versions of laws governing this mandate).  As currently written, the mandate will require all EMS providers, including Medical First Responders (MFR’s) to electronically report specific sets of data, most likely data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration EMS Dataset (NHTSA) Version 2.2. 

 To help mitigate the enormous cost of capturing and reporting the mandated electronic data, “free” installation-based software was made readily available.  Unfortunately, it is uncertain whether the “free” installation based software is the rock solid, move forward, supported solution of the future.  There is also speculation that the State of Michigan is looking to create a single, one size fits all Pre-Hospital Care Report (those of you that have been in this industry for the past 20 years have witnessed the fate of this initiative more than once).  So, the only certainties at this point are; a) State of Michigan electronic reporting mandates are on the books and approaching fast; b) with or without “free” software, purchasing computer hardware, layers of software, human resources to convert manual run report data to electronic data, modems, switches, internet connections, I/T support, back-up equipment (and on and on) will have an enormous cost associated with it; and finally c) there is just too much uncertainty for providers affected by the mandate to make an intelligent, cost effective decision about how to prepare for the mandate…Until Now!