Frequently Asked Questions

Not all students will enter their information but students with known medical conditions are more likely to share their information in order to equip EMS responders to best care for them.

We anticipate that not all students will enter their information. For example, a subset of students does not have any medical history and will therefore feel no need. Information of no previous medical history is already essential evidence. Further, students with known medical conditions are more likely to submit their information to ensure EMS responders are best prepared to care for them.  Minutes Matter™ remains a critical tool for all EMS responders regardless of the situation. 

Even if most of the students choose not to submit their medical history, a portion of students will do so, and we firmly believe that those with chronic and severe medical conditions will be amongst those willing and eager to participate. Those who suffer from severe allergies, asthma, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and hypertension will be encouraged to know that their university understands the importance of providing this information in emergencies.  Recent studies have shown that approximately 15% of all young adults suffer from one of these chronic conditions, and it was for these students that Minutes Matter™ was developed.  It may provide vital information for one of these young adults at a critical moment.   Let it not be overlooked that many parents assist their children in completing freshman registration documents, and this will include a health survey.   

What if 85% of the students have no medical history to provide? For these students, Minutes Matter™ will still serve two primary purposes.  First, campus security will have the ability to positively identify a patient.  They are typically first on scene and have made it known that it is often difficult to get this information, if not impossible, in college environments.  Security personnel who have had the opportunity to use Minutes Matter™ have testified that it would be of great value.  Secondly, throughout the student's time at the university, Minutes Matter™ will record a medical log, including medic notes of all emergencies they have endured.  Medics will undeniably appreciate this information and use it to provide optimal patient care in subsequent emergencies.   

There is one more vital detail to take under advisement.   The faculty and staff can also reap the benefits of Minutes Matter™, and these individuals are much more likely to voluntarily submit their medical information and have much more complicated medical histories.

Information provided by Minutes Matter™ is critical for campus security to identify the patient and for responding EMS personnel to quickly establish the nature of the call and to prepare responding ALS intercepts.

Minutes Matter™ provides vital information to all levels of first responders.  It begins with campus security, who will use the application to confirm the patient's identity.   Minutes Matter™ gives them the ability to notify dispatch of any critical history before EMS arrival and access emergency contacts quickly.    

EMTs will have information available within seconds of arrival, which will potentially help them identify the primary cause of illness.   While most medics will eventually arrive at the proper conclusions, the skill of each medical team will vary greatly. EMTs operate under protocols, but they still need to identify the primary problem before a protocol is followed.  Every piece of information available to EMTs assists them in determining the immediate problem and providing adequate medical care. 

 If paramedics are dispatched to higher acuity patients, the EMT will be prepared to give a more thorough and complete report with the help of Minutes Matter™. A critical component of pre-hospital medicine is proper documentation to ensure continuity of care. Minutes Matter™ will assist in completing patient care reports by providing essential information when the patient is unable.  

Minutes Matter™ is intended to use the information students have already submitted to the university with a separate portal only necessary to update, verify, and choose which information to present to EMS.  

This issue has been raised during our discussions with other universities as well.  Consequently, Nivitus has discussed this at length amongst our team and with the users of Minutes Matter™.  Although the solution will be unique for each university, we have established the following guidelines:

• If the university already collects the necessary medical data, Nivitus will develop a service to interface with your database and pull the data to stay synchronized periodically.
• A separate Minutes Matter™ portal will be made available to the student to enter any additional information they have not disclosed to the university.  It will be made clear that this information is for emergency use only and is not available for any other use.

It is assumed that medical information is requested when a student first matriculates.  If the university provides the ability to update this information, then Minutes Matter™ will reflect these changes.  There will be no need for a student to update the information in multiple locations.  

Properly trained first responders will gladly take the few moments necessary to access Minutes Matter™ which will positively identify the patient and in some cases provide critical information.

Minutes Matter™ is designed to be easy to use, require very little time and provide critical information for all patients.

Minutes Matter™ was not designed to replace a medic's judgment or distract them from their primary responsibilities.  Instead, Minutes Matter™ was designed by medics intimately aware of the importance of timely treatment and getting critical information.  With proper training, medics will become familiar with the app and should be able to access the patient's information rapidly.  

All critical information will be displayed on the initial summary screen to prompt the medic towards a differential diagnosis.   An experienced and dutiful medic will appreciate both the available information and the absence of data.   In many instances, campus security will arrive on the scene first and can access the patient's record.  In doing so, they will be able to perform the critical function of positively identifying the patient and will be prepared to notify the medic immediately upon arrival if the summary screen offers information.   Minutes Matter™ will not be another unnecessary distraction for the medic.  It will be a vital tool in their arsenal for providing better patient care.  

Knowing that EMS bases its practice on evidence-based medicine, Minutes Matter™ provides a supplementary technology allowing the medic to rapidly receive historical information to optimizes the outcome of the patient.

EMS bases its practice on protocols and evidence-based medicine, which require understanding the underlying problem. Since EMS providers have less technology for diagnostic purposes, they primarily rely on history taking and physical examination skills. Each piece of information EMS gathers is used to provide appropriate medical care that optimizes the outcome of each patient they encounter.

• Anaphylaxis - EMS will rapidly determine the patient has an allergy and can utilize early IM epinephrine 
• Prescription Medication Overdose - EMS will be able to determine what prescription medication the patient takes, therefore providing evidence of the appropriate toxidrome. Knowing this information is critical as each toxidrome has various complications and potential treatments in the pre-hospital setting. 
• Previous EMS encounters in the notes - EMS can determine if previous head trauma occurred on campus should this progress into a severe emergency. For example, a patient that is presenting with altered mental status, ataxia, and slurred speech could be suffering from an intracranial hemorrhage due to head trauma; without information about the mechanism of injury, this could easily be written off as intoxication or drug ingestion and not brought to the appropriate hospital.
• Communication Difficulties - deaf patient population, language barriers 
• Statement from Cushman and other providers
• Provide specific use cases where it will make a difference
• Produce simulated scenario videos

Minutes Matter™ takes pride that it not only satisfies but exceeds personal information privacy guidelines such as HIPAA and FERPA with the use of state-of-the-art security mechanisms.

Undoubtedly, concerns regarding student privacy have become an important topic and concern for students, parents, and your university.  With the introduction of HIPAA and FERPA, guidelines are in place to ensure that student information, and especially health-related data, will be appropriately protected.  Minutes Matter™ has been specifically designed to exceed these requirements and includes the implementation of the following actions to prevent intentional misuse of the system:

• Screenshots of the application are not permitted
• Auto log-out upon inactivity
• Initial access of information can only be achieved by scanning the student's barcode or QR code
• Students can mark specific data as "private," which will require a code from the student to view
• All activity is tracked and reported to the university, EMS agency, and the patient  
• All usage logs are of the permanent record and cannot be deleted from the database
• Agency will have the ability to define the location where the app can be used
• Backend scans for anomalies to prevent such things as over-usage or multiple devices

Research has proven that Minutes Matter™ will provide vital value to your university, your students, and those that care for them at a very reasonable price.

Nivitus was founded to provide tools to allow emergency responders to provide the best service at a reasonable cost.   Throughout our market discovery phase, strategic university stakeholders have stated that they understand the value of not just protecting their students and faculty. While nobody would put a value on saving a life or preventing unnecessary harm, we intend to ensure that Minutes Matter™ can add safety to your university around the cost of the purchase of a Starbucks coffee for each student.     

There is also the intrinsic value that comes from parents and students who will appreciate the extra measures your university is taking to improve security and safety on the campus.  This is especially true for those campuses looking to meet the special needs of students with disabilities.   We have spoken to leaders responsible for student enrollment and recruitment that have been excited about the additional element Minutes Matter™ will provide to promote their school.