Improving the documentation in mass casualty incidents by combining electronic and paper based approaches

This work presents a concept for combining paper based and electronic objects in order to improve information access in mass casualty incidents. We propose to improve the relief workers’ documentation task by combining PBPTs (paper based patient tags) with RBPTs (RFID based patient tags). This combination, which we call RFID Enhanced Patient Tags (REPTs), is capable of combining advantages from both approaches. On the paper part paramedics can easily scribble down medical results, it can be read and extended easily by succeeding relief units, colored paper bars can be identified even from far away and for extending patient related information nothing but a pen is needed. The use of electronically readable tags enables the paramedics to log their patient contacts, provide the incident commanders with evolving information and to acquire the patient location.