Guest Editorial: Are We Addicted to Tech?

7:30 a.m.: A texting driver slams his car into a high school student. The student was messaging a friend as she crossed the road to get to her bus. Its stop arm was out and lights were flashing, to no avail. A bystander calls 9-1-1, and the ambulance arrives to find a preteen with a broken leg and mild signs of shock. The driver is distraught and says he doesn’t feel well. The EMS crew packages them both for transport. The girl is stable. The man begins complaining of chest pain. The paramedic performs a quick check of his vitals and hooks him up to a monitor. The medic studies the 12-lead as the patient becomes short of breath and gasps for air. The medic continues his focus on the EKG, looking for signs of a heart attack.

During paramedic school ambulance clinicals, I was taking the lead while responding to a chest pain call. My friend and mentor Phil Brown was precepting me. I entered the residence and introduced myself, asked for the chief complaint, and began attaching the EKG electrodes while the others obtained a history and provided oxygen.

I was using my keen skills of observation and assessment—analyzing the EKG and interpreting the heart rhythm. Phil leaned over and whispered in my ear, “We need to hurry!” That was my first lesson in treating the patient instead of the monitor. 

We grew up with Nintendo thumbs and computers in my generation. Today’s EMS providers are accustomed to more sophisticated technologies. The generation now entering EMS will frequently text someone instead of calling them. 

Scientists and scholars recognize there is a fine line between general technology use and “unhealthy” use linked to physical, social, and psychological problems. The increased integration of technology has given us the potential to develop an addiction to it.¹ People engage their peers on the platforms they can access—just as we used regular phones and meeting in person in the old days.

We are a profession that regularly answers 9-1-1 calls in which a patient may have searched their signs and symptoms online and already formed a diagnosis. Similarly, agencies often have tech-savvy employees who may attempt to work around firewalls on agency networks. They may look to circumvent restrictions on company computers to check their e-mail or surf the Internet. Other users may have narrative templates saved on company computers to expedite their PCR writing and decrease their time on the quality assurance “naughty” list. 

The minor risks associated with technology in the past have grown exponentially for management as it works to mitigate issues that could leave its systems vulnerable to computer viruses and phishing scams. A local agency near me was the recent victim of ransomware—luckily its systems were redundant and data backed up. Loss of company computers could mean large penalties for HIPAA violations or other unauthorized personal information disclosures.

The price of keeping up can be a struggle. Modern multiband or trunked radio systems, automatic vehicle location, tablets, laptop computers, software, 12-lead monitors with telemetry—the costs of modern medical technology are staggering. Meanwhile, our employees and the public expect us to work with the most current equipment and technology. 

A reality check came for me when our FirstNet coordinator told me of a meeting in which a fire chief brought one of his younger subordinates in to discuss communication issues. The employee asked why he couldn’t see the ambulance coming when he dialed 9-1-1, as when calling Uber. 

Many colleges now require students to use an iPad or other electronic reading device. While e-readers may help readers consume more content within the same time, retention and concentration occur at a much higher degree with traditional paper books, according to some literature.² The differences may be matters of preference. 

Technology is a tool, just like a stethoscope or cardiac monitor. It is used to check things and double-check ourselves. When using it we must remember to focus on the patient, the road, and the people around us. 

Our lives increasingly depend on all we can access at a moment’s notice. Many of us prefer to use the technology at hand to entertain ourselves rather than talking with others at meals or visiting with family and friends. This occasionally rolls over into our work habits too. Our profession requires us to interact with people. Use the tools, don’t be one.

References

1. Ali S. Could You Be Addicted to Technology? Psychology Today, 2018 Feb 12; www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/201802/could-you-be-addicted-technology.

2. Mangen A, Walgermo BR, Bronnick K. Reading linear texts on paper versus computer screen: Effects on reading comprehension. Int J Educ Research, 2013; 58: 61–8.

John M. Dabbs is a consultant and investigator for the Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Office.