Computer Aided Reporting System (CARS)
Paper PCR (Patient Care Report) Forms under the Emergency Rules
2023 CARS Lock on Post Instructions REV-2023-07
NWC EMSS Short Form MARK-UP VERSION REV 08-01-2023
NWC EMSS Short Form CLEAN VERSION REV 08-01-2023
QI Audit Form
2024 CARS Committee Charter
2024 CARS Member List & Alternates
MISSION:
The CARS Committee consists of representatives from each of the provider agencies and the resource and associate hospitals. Several of the members have been actively involved with this committee since it's 1994 task-force days. Representatives act as "power-users" for their local agency/hospital, assisting with the training of their personnel in using the software.
The committee chair is elected by the membership on an annual basis. There are three primary areas of responsibility for this committee. First and foremost is the implementation of the electronic medical record keeping and charting reuired for each patient contact. Next is the gathering of data that is required to be submitted to the State of Illinois.
The third area of responsibility deals with the EMS System web site. This includes webmaster responsibilities and further enhancement of the site. Additionally, the group serves in an advisory capacity in any computer technology improvement that entails expenditure of funds.
History:
The NWC EMSS Computer Aided Reporting System (CARS) Ad Hoc task force was established in May 1994 as a multi-disciplinary team charged with completing an internal and external analysis of the driving and restraining forces relevant to computerizing the EMS patient care report and selecting a possible hardware and software vendor. Their charges were fulfilled on March 17, 1995 when a joint meeting of the Provider and Hospital Administrators voted unanimously to pursue computerization by entering into negotiations with Westech Industries. Westech negotiations were aborted due to performance deficiencies and a contract was signed with Pen Age Technologies, Inc. on April 19, 1996. Later, Pen Age Technologies was acquired by GEAC, a company known for their CAD software. The system continued using this software until GEAC eliminated the product line. After much work with the other impacted systems, the decision was made to partner with the Good Samaratin EMS System and the product they had selected several years earlier. The NWC EMS System currently uses ePCR software from Imagetrend. We have partnered with other hospitals in EMS Regions 8 and 9. A total of 91 provider services, across 6 EMS systems share this database. This allows us larger-scalabiity and better data analysis. As of June, 2012 there are over 725,000 patient reports in the database.
The Ad Hoc Committee transitioned to a standing system committee on March 24, 1995 at which time they drafted bylaws, membership classifications, and ad hoc subcommittees. The CARS reporting System began beta testing on July 1, 1996 and went live System-wide on October 1, 1996. In 1998, Committee membership was expanded to one representative per System member to enhance communication with all CARS users.
Fire department representatives are appointed by the Chief/Director, and Private ambulance representatives are appointed by their Adminitrators. Hospital representatives are typically the hospital EMS Coordinators. Information System/Technology representatives are also encouraged to attend the meetings.