Patient communication apps are now critical tools for medical teams. Here we look at GD e-Bridge — an innovative medical interpreter app that leverages live video interpreting.

With more global mobility, we encounter more people who speak other languages. In the US, 65 million people speak a language other than English, and many of those people speak limited English, according to the Census Bureau.

For medical first responders and other healthcare providers, this poses a challenge. But it’s a challenge that must be solved to comply with the US Joint Commission requirement for effective communication for every patient — including those with limited English.

The problem is, many hospitals still use the traditional interpreter methods of telephone or on-site interpretation. Both methods have their drawbacks. For one, telephone interpreters can’t see the visual cues and environmental context. And for on-site interpreters, hospitals face challenges with logistics, availability and high expenses. With those big obstacles, on-site interpreting is often just not feasible.

Bridging the healthcare team communication gap

To meet this challenge, some hospitals are now using a cutting-edge new video-enabled, healthcare team communication app called e-Bridge Interpreter. GD’s e-Bridge medical interpreter app supports over 200 languages, including American Sign Language. To accomplish this, the app enables quick access to live, medically certified interpreters 24/7.

As its name implies, GD e-Bridge Interpreter bridges the patient to healthcare team communication gap, by way of cutting-edge video remote interpreting (VRI) technology. Medical teams can use the app for time-sensitive acute care such as strokes, STEMI, trauma, sepsis, telehealth triage for ET3, or non-emergency community paramedicine.

“On-site and telephone interpreting is old technology,” says Tom Kielty, a 40-year expert in interpreting. “Statistics have found that effective communication is based 55% on body language, 38% on tone, and only 7% on words.”

Benefits of a video medical interpreter app

Compared to traditional interpreting, video interpreting is more reliable, cost-effective, and provides instant access to an interpreter. This leaves patients with a more complete understanding of their condition and care, which in turn leads to better quality outcomes.

With the GD e-Bridge app, interpreters are available whenever needed with no scheduling needed — anywhere in the world and with any language that public safety and medical teams encounter.

“Instant access, live video conferencing is the future of telehealth,” says Kielty. “With a video interpreter app like e-Bridge, interpreters are available when you need them, not days from now. That’s regardless of where you are in the world or the languages you are confronting.”

eBridge app features

To meet today’s strict data security requirements, the GD e-Bridge medical interpreter app is HIPAA compliant and FirstNet listed. The app provides encrypted and integrated hospital-EMS notification, healthcare team communication, and medical documentation.

GD e-Bridge can integrate with a team’s existing technologies, but the app includes mobile telehealth, call/radio recording, remote call answering, workflow with time stamping, unified 12-lead management, video streaming, live online medial direction, and instant outcomes.

GD says that today, they are one of only a few FDA-listed offerings available that provide the same level of pre-hospital and hospital department information sharing, case management or workflow automation.

With so many features, you can see how this kind of app can be a big boost to medical team efficiency, plus reduced medical errors and liability. And most importantly for patients, GD e-Bridge Interpreter bridges language gaps when time is critical.

GD’s e-Bridge Interpreter is a Best of 2019 Mobile Star Awards Winner for “Innovative Mobile Medical App” and GD is also a Spring 2020 Nominee for “Mobile Healthcare Success Story”. You can connect with and follow General Devices below:

Best of 2019 Mobile Star Awards Winner:

Innovative Mobile Medical App — GD e-Bridge Interpreter

Spring 2020 Mobile Star Awards Nominee:

Mobile Healthcare Success Story — FDNY using GD e-Bridge

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Private Company, founded 1979

Contacts:
Curt Bashford, CEO, cbashford [at] general-devices.com
Andrew Birnbaum, Marketing Dir., abirnbaum [at] general-devices.com
Alessia Fiorello, Marcom Manager, afiorello [at] general-devices.com
Nicole LeClarie, Marketing Coordinator, nleclaire [at] general-devices.com

Specialties:
Ambulance Telemedicine Devices, EMS Interpreter, HIPAA Compliant Secure Communication, Medical Devices, mHealth, Mobile Integrated Healthcare, Mobile Telemedicine, Pre-Hospital Communications, Public Safety Communications, Secure Notifications, Telehealth, Telemedicine

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