National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center
National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center
When asked about the “lessons learned” from all of the states, they all described problems with development...
The following is one section of lessons learned from the NEDARC staff's evaluation of five state's EMS data systems.
The choice in software will depend on factors such as:
Of the five states interviewed, three states had a commercial vendor develop their data system. The other two developed there system in-house. When asked about the “lessons learned” from all of the states, they all described problems with development.
Some state offices were rigid in the type of software it would allow its programmers to use, resulting in software that did not fully meet the needs of the system.
In-house staff had limited experience in application programming, which limited the capabilities of the software system.
One state had a limited time frame to work on the project. Once that period was exhausted, the EMS office was left with some unfinished work. They had little recourse to ask the state programmers to complete the work.
State rules and regulations inhibited and slowed down purchasing and other decisions.
Money and financial limitations limited the amount of work than can be completed.
A rigid contract did not allow for flexibility in the application development as priorities and needs changed
The contractor outsourced parts of the project to other companies, which hindered oversight capabilities and understanding of the program’s needs.
rev. 08-Sep-2011
Software Vendors
A list of EMS data collection software vendors.
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Links to articles about databases, SQL, and XML.
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Links to online resources for databases, SQL, and NEMSIS.
