You arrive at the scene to find a patient struggling to breathe. They can’t speak clearly, no family is present, and no one knows their medical history. What medications are they on? Do they have life-threatening allergies? Are they diabetic, asthmatic, or recovering from surgery?
EMS providers face situations like this every day, treating patients with incomplete information and hoping to make the right call. Now imagine if, with a simple scan of a driver’s license, you could instantly access that patient’s medications, allergies, and medical history pulled directly from their electronic health records.
That is exactly what ImageTrend’s Treatment Query feature delivers, powered by the combination of Elite™ and the Health Information Hub™ (HIH). Together, they connect EMS agencies to national interoperability networks like Carequality, which is a designated Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) under the federal Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) initiative.
The Challenge of Limited Information
EMS providers often treat patients without access to critical background information. The patient may be unconscious, confused, or unable to communicate. And family members, if present, may lack essential health details. Providers are left to make critical decisions with incomplete information, which can delay treatment, lead to medical errors, or complicate documentation.
One study found that approximately 11% of EMS calls experience delays, with nearly half (47.4%) of these delays occurring at the scene. While many factors contribute to scene delays, the lack of immediate access to patient information is a common and preventable barrier that leaves providers searching for critical details at the worst possible moment.
This gap has long been a limitation for EMS. Through national interoperability networks such as QHINs, EMS providers can now access the same kind of patient data that hospitals and clinics have relied on for years.
What is the Treatment Query Feature?
The Treatment Query feature empowers EMS agencies to securely access patient records from thousands of hospitals, clinics, and care providers via HIH. Leveraging the power of a national QHIN, providers can instantly retrieve data such as current medications, allergies, and past medical history directly into their documentation workflow.
With a simple scan of a driver’s license or by entering basic demographics, crews can quickly query the network, review available patient information, and import selected data directly into their Elite incident report. The result is faster, more confident decision-making and significant time savings in documentation.
The Role of Health Information Hub
At the core of Treatment Query is the Health Information Hub (HIH), the technology that makes real-time interoperability possible.
HIH acts as the bridge between EMS agencies and national data-sharing networks, such as Carequality and emerging QHINs, enabling:
- Real-time patient data retrieval at the scene, with an internet connection.
- Seamless integration with ImageTrend Elite documentation workflows.
- Secure, bidirectional data exchange with hospitals and other healthcare partners.
For agencies already using HIH for hospital notifications and outcome data, Treatment Query becomes a natural extension, unlocking even more value from the same interoperability framework.
This isn’t just an add-on; HIH is the foundation for connected EMS operations, equipping agencies to be part of the broader, rapidly evolving healthcare data ecosystem.
How it Works in Practice
In the field, EMS providers access the Treatment Query through a simple, integrated workflow. After encountering a patient, the provider first opens the Repeat Patient Lookup function within Elite. This functionality, configured during system setup, enables EMS crews to perform both internal and external patient searches.
The provider begins by scanning the patient’s driver’s license or, if unavailable, manually entering key demographic information, including the patient’s home postal code.
Once entered, this information triggers a search through HIH, connecting to Carequality to locate available records. The system prioritizes results based on the patient’s home location, which is especially helpful for patients who may be traveling outside their regular care area.
Typical workflow:
- Step 1: Scan the driver’s license or enter patient demographics.
- Step 2: Query the network for matching patient records.
- Step 3: Review the results, confirm the correct record, and view available information.
- Step 4: Select which information to import, such as medications, allergies, or past medical history, directly into the Elite report.
This capability enhances both clinical decision-making and operational efficiency. Providers are no longer left wondering about a patient’s medical history. They have the information they need when it matters most.
Why It Matters for EMS Agencies
The benefits of Treatment Query go beyond convenience. It directly supports safer, more effective patient care by giving EMS providers timely access to critical information. By reducing documentation time and improving clinical confidence, Treatment Query not only enhances care in the field but also integrates EMS more fully into the broader healthcare interoperability ecosystem.
This shift is already well underway. In 2024, more than 1.2 million EMS patient care records included hospital outcome data, up from just 300,000 in 2022, reflecting rapid progress in data sharing between EMS and hospital systems.
As initiatives like the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) continue to drive the growth of QHINs, EMS agencies adopting HIH are positioning themselves at the forefront of modern, data-driven emergency response.
Bringing Critical Data to the Frontlines
The Treatment Query feature is available to agencies using ImageTrend Elite with the Health Information Hub integration. Setup is straightforward, requiring simple configuration through Form Manager and basic training for field providers. Once activated, EMS crews can immediately begin using the feature to access patient records in real time.
When EMS providers have access to better data, they make better decisions. Treatment Query delivers the critical information needed to provide faster, safer, and smarter patient care, all integrated seamlessly into the tools providers already use every day.
Ready to see the Treatment Query feature in action? Schedule a demo today with one of our ImageTrend experts.
