First aid, translated

The 1st Minute Mobile App provides language translation during medical emergencies. The easy-to-use interface allows first responders to receive critical triage information from foreign language speaking patients within 60 seconds. Global travelers using the App can easily communicate medical history and details of a sickness or injury to paramedics, ERs, and pharmacies in foreign countries. The App does not require an Internet connection since it has a pre-populated language database.

Faster patient assistance, more accurate care
Frees up valuable public safety resources
Dynamic, translated medical ID for travelers
Multi-lingual intake forms for ER clinics

LanguageMAPS envisions a world of mobile connectedness in which barriers to communication are no longer a problem—especially in a medical emergency. The future of 9-1-1 and smartphone technology is changing: 1st Minute is a part of the solution.

Helping First Responders with language translation in under 60 seconds

Smartphones & Preparing for Medical Emergencies while Traveling Abroad

December 22nd, 2017 by Lance Manning

While none of us ever plan to have a medical emergency, it’s too late to plan for one once it happens, especially when traveling abroad.

Most of us know someone with a story to tell. It just might be you. There are enough challenges to obtaining medical care while overseas without even talking about the problem of a language barrier. Fact: if you are unprepared to deal with the language barrier when your medical emergency comes, it can change your crisis into a complete disaster.

How can one be prepared and plan ahead? Below, our advisor Dr. DeLange explains from personal experience…

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Posted in 1stMinute, blog post, featured

Avoiding Medical Emergencies During Travel – Tips from an ER Doctor

July 14th, 2017 by Lance Manning

Medical emergencies during travel are the worst kinds of surprises to have.

Some are nuisances and some are deadly. How does one prepare for the worst? Recent writings about why tourists end up in the ER list a few of the culprits: stings from animals in the sea, the flu, altitude sickness, mosquito-borne illness, and food-borne illness.

For this blog, we interviewed the new member of our medical advisory board, Tyler DeLange, MD.

(more…)

Posted in 1stMinute, blog post, featured

1st Minute as seen in

DHS

EMS1

Launch DFW

Dallas Morning News

1 Million Cups

AT&T Hackathon

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the App HIPAA compliant and are there any other privacy concerns?

The 1st MinuteApp is HIPAA compliant. It deals only with patient-generated data. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information. Since the App does not collect nor share such health information, like name, date of birth, or Social Security Number, there is no invasion of privacy. We are closely tracking the call for reforms to HIPAA that reflect the changing nature of personal health data, dispatch liability, and the digital health industry’s intention to protect the safety and wellbeing of patients.

The 1st Minute App has the ability to operate in a Location-Based Service (LBS) mode which makes use of the geographical position of one’s mobile device. Public Safety organizations with an enterprise version of the App may choose to enable LBS functionality to show where patient translation incidents occur. This data can be aggregated over time to provide city or agency leadership with understanding of which language barriers exists, how often they are faced, and which parts of the city they occur in. This is an optional feature that is not enabled by default in the individual download of the App. Opt-in is required to engage this functionality. In this regard, only the current location of the device is stored (no continuous geographic tracking is recorded) and one’s identity is never known to the 1st Minute application.

How many non-English Speakers are there in the US?

In last 30 years, non-English speaking homes have grown by 300% compared to 38% population growth.

Furthermore, it is estimated that there are 100 million non-English speakers visiting the US per year and 30 million already in the US with very limited English speaking skills. In discussions with first responders in large cities, they’ve experienced difficult conversations with those who speak languages like Vietnamese, Burmese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

What are some challenges first responders face in the EMS Operational Environment?

They must ensure effective and timely responses to protect people / property
They have a need to query databases to gain as much information as possible
To rapidly process a flood of information, filtering out relevant information
To effectively communicate information about an event to the next level of care (medical facilities)

How important are the first few minutes in a 911 health emergency?

If first responders don’t know exactly what’s going on, they may make a default decision and take them to the hospital. Emergency department leaders want to know more than just their vital signs. If the hospital is 45 minutes away and the person just has a headache or the flu (something non-life threatening), then it could be a costly and wasted trip. If the patient is having problems related to stroke or the heart, then seconds count.

How it works

1st Minute will simplify getting the basic details from a foreign language speaker. It does not provide medical advice but instead facilitates the conversation first responders are already trained to have.