The 2020 EMS World Innovation Award Winners

What new technologies would help you perform your job more effectively?

EMS World is proud to announce the recipients of the 2020 EMS World Innovation Awards. This award program recognizes the industry’s most pioneering products of the year that were on full display at EMS World Expo 2020, a virtual conference held Sept. 14–18.

An independent panel of judges consisting of EMS World editorial advisory board members and EMS World Expo faculty met one-on-one with company representatives to evaluate each entry, learn about its application, and determine whether it was worthy of this esteemed honor. Products must be new or have undergone significant design changes after August 2019.

Presented in alphabetical order, these are the 10 products and services our judging panel deemed the most innovative developments in EMS this year. EMS World thanks our judging panel for their 
service. And mark your calendars for EMS World Expo 2021, to be held October 4–8 in Atlanta.

For more information about these award-winning products, visit the EMS World Online Product Directory at www.emsworld.com/directory. EMS World congratulates the winners for this prestigious honor.   

3B Scientific: Basic Life Support Simulator BASICBilly+

The Basic Billy CPR training manikin is a reliable, realistic, and economic choice for basic CPR training. The BASICBilly+ BLS and CPR manikin comes with a direct CPR feedback upgrade kit, which enables students and instructors to train CPR skills with a free, accurate, and user-friendly mobile app. Economical and AHA-compliant, the system can be used as a complete solution to train, monitor, analyze, and debrief CPR performance. The BASICBilly+ syncs with the app using a strong and reliable Bluetooth connection. The instructor app provides a detailed performance review of up to six manikins at a time, while the student app enables trainees to directly see and monitor their CPR performance in real time.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK:  “A good way to get a CPR manikin with feedback for not a lot of money.”

First Response Mental Health: PeerConnect

Support the mental health and well-being of every individual in your organization with this custom mobile app that gives each member of your organization access to private and anonymous peer support, wellness tools, self-assessment, and mental health programming and resources—wherever they are and whenever they need it.

The app allows an organization to proactively set a maximum number of times a member can go without talking to peer support. Organizations receive their own app and a unique URL through which their members can access the tool.

The PeerConnect can be synched to an existing dispatch system to automatically engage peer support during certain call types.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK: “Behavioral health access to assistance is a critical issue in all emergency services.”

Health Scholars: ACLS Virtual Reality Training

Deliver consistent, memorable on-demand training experiences across your entire organization with less overhead.

Immersive training practices and virtual reality provide agencies of all sizes an additional training modality that easily scales to any number of providers, costs at least 50% less than traditional physical simulation, and provides actionable performance reporting.

Health Scholars’ newest virtual reality application is designed in accordance with AHA guidelines to complement AHA’s HeartCode training. It instructs participants and validates the competencies to diagnose and resuscitate adults with cardiopulmonary arrest and other common cardiac emergencies.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK: “Really great and interesting product. I do have some potential concerns about cost.”

ImageTrend: ImageTrend Elite

ImageTrend continues to deliver innovation with new features in Elite™, the company’s powerful, highly configurable and easy-to-use solution for prehospital documentation.

One of the most popular features released in the last year lets providers quickly retrieve historical medical device images, such as 12-lead EKG images for a patient, and compare them during a cardiac event. Bringing this technology to a prehospital setting will help clinical decision making and devising the best treatment en route to the hospital.

Configure your run forms for the fields you need, define validation rules for your system, and easily deploy across a multitude of devices, including iPad, Android, and Windows-based tablets.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK: “The EKG history and patient outcome features are nice adjuncts to the ImageTrend system.”

iSimulate: REALITi360 Version 10

iSimulate has added robust new features to its popular, realistic simulation ecosystem.

Upgrades and enhancements include a new optional remote module to control the monitor, chart, and camera remotely over the internet; optional ZOLL EMV+ Ventilator premium screen; slider control option to adjust vital sign parameters; ability to manually send a 12-lead printout from the control; Bluetooth-connected audio; preview toggle to the scenario story editor; additional language support; and much more.

Totally mobile—train anywhere, any time. Some options and features built into Version 10 may be available to existing REALITi users at no additional charge.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK: “While there are similar products, this is a useful EMS training tool.”

Nonin: CO-Pilot

Fast, accurate, cost-effective spot-checking of oxygen saturation and pulse rate in pediatric to adult patients. The Nonin CO-Pilot Wireless Handheld Multi-Parameter System reliably measures carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), methemoglobin (MetHb), pulse oximetry (SpO₂), pulse rate, and cerebral oximetry (rSO₂) in even the most challenging conditions.

The system eliminates the need for a cable connecting the patient to the monitor, allowing wireless screening from up to 10 meters away. Emergencies can happen anywhere, and unreliable measurements leave everyone exposed. You need to be able to depend on the tools you use so you can focus on the lives that
depend on you.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK: “While the technology might not be an innovation, this is likely new to many EMS agencies.”

Operative IQ: RFID Maintenance Automation

Track maintenance records in real time from any device. Strengthen your operation’s compliance by automating the creation of your asset maintenance records. An RFID reader identifies equipment being maintained, repaired, or inspected and creates a maintenance record. 

Examples include flat-surface RFID readers recording maintenance for monitors and ventilators, small mounted RFID units documenting cleaned gear, and multiantenna systems capturing cots or other large assets inside a room.

The applications are endless. Whether you work in a hospital or in the field, Operative IQ is designed around you.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK: “I like this system a lot. It is better suited for large EMS systems, but it is affordable for even small agencies.”

Pulsara: Pulsara Patient

The Pulsara Patient is a mobile provider-to-patient platform that connects patients and approved family members to their care teams instantly on a single channel.

EMS personnel simply create a patient channel and add contact information, and the system sends a prepopulated message to the patient’ s smart device, which prompts them to download the app. From there EMS crews can initiate secure live audio or video calls to assess and advise patients remotely.

Pulsara Patient is especially appropriate during the COVID pandemic, as teams can better manage patient surges to facilities, provide care without being exposed, preserve PPE, and connect all members of the care team on a single, unified communication channel.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK: “Interesting new approach to existing products with upgrades.”

Rescue Essentials: Slishman Traction Splint-Compact

The next evolution to the company’s revolutionary Slishman Traction Splint, this compact, lightweight splint uses proximal calf application to apply precise femoral traction.

The new STS-C is designed for situations in which medical equipment must be packed into difficult or remote locations—search and rescue, special operations, military medicine, and backcountry and wildland firefighting. The STS-C is a more advanced version of the Slishman Traction Splint. One size fits all, less than 13 ounces and 13 inches packed, no loose parts, and fast application even in cases of leg or foot amputation. Can be applied in under a minute with minimal training. Includes the Slishman Pressure Wrap to assist with rotational stability.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK: “This is a smaller version of the Slishman Traction Splint. It would be very beneficial for backcountry or ski patrol applications.”

SimX Inc.: SimX VR

Virtual- and augmented-reality medical simulation software replaces expensive, static, outdated simulation manikins with a virtual patient at about 10% of the cost of traditional simulation. The system offers full control over patient demographics, environment, tools, and more. Features include wireless capability, moderator tools, and true in-person multiplayer compatibility with all major headsets.

The platform is based on the latest evidence and best practices in simulation science. Functions seamlessly in ultrarealistic high definition on the VR systems you already have. Cases can be run with customizable virtual patients that can be projected anywhere—the ED, operating room, clinic, grocery store, home, or even in a moving helicopter.

JUDGES’ FEEDBACK: “I like this system. Very realistic and interactive. I wonder how many agencies can afford the VR headsets and subscription required.”

New Award: Attendees' Choice

New this year is a special Attendees’ Choice honor that was voted on by you, the attendees of EMS World Expo. 

Visitors to the EMS World Expo Virtual Exhibit Hall were asked to quantify whether each product was truly innovative, whether it would improve their practice and delivery of EMS, and whether their agency should acquire it.

We are pleased to report we received more than 2,300 total votes for this new award. This is the product voted highest by attendees among the nonwinners.

CAE Healthcare: Ventilator Reskilling Course

Mechanical ventilation is a complex skill that often requires a combination of courses. This adaptive learning course has provided rapid training for more than 2,000 clinicians with varied levels of competency, resulting in better patient outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. This 30-minute online adaptive learning course covers respiratory physiology, ventilator functions, and the use and goals of ventilators in respiratory failure.