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Just a few years ago, paramedics in Germany were routinely (and probably not entirely legally) using WhatsApp for communicating with the hospital while en route
by BjoernKW 6y ago
Just a few years ago, paramedics in Germany were routinely (and probably not entirely legally) using WhatsApp for communicating with the hospital while en route because there wasn't (and still isn't) a reliable, secure and interoperable system allowing healthcare providers to communicate with each other.
It's not like people in Germany are using tools such as WhatsApp in a professional context because they're negligent or careless (at least not entirely). Often, the digital infrastructure available to them is so woefully inadequate they have to resort to non-official tools.
- ganzuul 6y agoTETRA isn't interoperable?
- BjoernKW 6y agoIts introduction has been an unmitigated disaster in Germany (as apparently and unfortunately is wont in Germany), see https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOS-Funk#Einf%C3%BChrung_in_Deutschland https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOS-Funk#Einf%C3%BChrung_in_De... (German-only, sorry). It's still not universally implemented and hospitals aren't part of the network either.
- martinald 6y agoThat's funny. UK is now switching off TETRA to a new ESN network; based on LTE. Quite a few issues with it, so it will be a while yet, but most of the masts are built. It will also allow coverage in rural areas to improve (as operators can share the masts built for the emergency network).
- ancaster 6y ago> Just a few years ago, paramedics in Germany were routinely (and probably not entirely legally) using WhatsApp for communicating with the hospital Here in Canada, WhatsApp is routinely used in the hospitals for doctors to communicate with each other about patient care. We aren't supposed to send identifiable information but... it happens all the time, of course. And for the same reason: no sanctioned system to replace it.