ImageTrend's Carelytics Aims to Fix Hospital-EMS Data Disconnect

EAGAN, Minn. – February 20, 2026 – Healthcare technology firm ImageTrend today announced the launch of Carelytics, a new software suite designed to tackle a long-standing and costly problem in healthcare: the data disconnect between Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and hospitals. The unified platform aims to automate data exchange, provide deep operational insights, and offer market intelligence, potentially saving hospitals significant labor costs while improving the continuity of patient care.

For years, the handoff from ambulance to emergency department has been fraught with data friction. Paramedics often arrive with paper face sheets, which hospital staff must then manually scan, index, and reconcile with the patient's electronic health record (EHR). This process is not only slow and prone to error but also expensive. ImageTrend's new suite promises a future where this data flows automatically, creating a seamless digital bridge between the field and the hospital.

"Interoperability shouldn't require workarounds and customization to work effectively," said Patrick Sheahan, CEO and President of ImageTrend, in the launch announcement. "Carelytics was built to eliminate manual record matching, surface referral and patient flow insights, and create true closed-loop communication between EMS and hospitals. When your data moves automatically, the system works the way it should."

The High Cost of Disconnected Care

The most immediate impact promised by Carelytics is on the hospital's bottom line. The company claims that an average emergency department processing 20,000 EMS face sheets annually could save nearly $50,000 in labor costs. This figure represents the elimination of manual data entry that consumes the equivalent of nearly one full-time employee's workload.

While the specific claim is tied to the new product, it aligns with broader industry research. Studies have consistently shown that poor interoperability and inefficient data systems cost the U.S. healthcare industry tens of billions of dollars annually. Manual data transfer is a major culprit, increasing the risk of errors, lost records, and mismatched patient data—all of which lead to costly rework and potential patient safety issues.

By automating the ingestion of EMS patient care reports directly into a hospital's EHR, Carelytics aims to remove this administrative burden. This allows hospital staff to focus on patient care rather than paperwork and ensures that a complete record of pre-hospital treatment is available to clinicians almost instantly. This efficiency gain extends beyond cost savings; it accelerates the entire care process, from patient registration to the activation of specialized teams for time-sensitive conditions like stroke or cardiac events.

Bridging the Critical Data Gap

Beyond the financial implications, Carelytics addresses the critical need for better continuity of care. Historically, EMS has often been an information silo, a segment of the healthcare continuum frequently left out of major interoperability initiatives. Paramedics often work with limited patient history, and hospitals struggle to access detailed pre-hospital data. The feedback loop is often broken, with EMS crews rarely receiving updates on patient outcomes after the handoff.

Carelytics leverages established healthcare data standards like HL7 (Health Level Seven) and C-CDA (Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture) to create a secure, two-way street for information. The platform's ability to automatically match EMS encounter data to the correct hospital registration is a key feature, solving a common and frustrating challenge for health information managers.

More importantly, the suite enables true bidirectional communication. As hospitals treat patients, outcome data can be automatically and securely shared back with the corresponding EMS agency. This closed-loop communication is invaluable for performance improvement, allowing EMS agencies to see the results of their interventions, refine protocols, and provide targeted training. It transforms the relationship from a simple handoff to a collaborative partnership focused on improving patient outcomes across the entire chain of survival.

From Data to Strategic Decisions

Perhaps the most forward-looking aspect of Carelytics is its move beyond simple interoperability into the realm of market intelligence. The platform aggregates and analyzes the vast amounts of data flowing from EMS transports to provide hospital leaders with near real-time strategic insights.

This capability addresses a growing demand in the healthcare industry. As organizations shift toward value-based care models and face increasing competition, the ability to make data-driven decisions is paramount. Unified data platforms that provide a holistic view of patient journeys and market dynamics are becoming a strategic necessity.

With Carelytics, hospital executives can visualize EMS patient flow, identify referral patterns from specific agencies, and monitor interfacility transfers. They can analyze ambulance offload times to identify and resolve operational bottlenecks in their emergency departments. This level of visibility allows hospitals to not only strengthen relationships with their EMS partners but also to inform strategic planning for service line growth. By understanding where patients are coming from and what services they need, hospitals can better allocate resources, target marketing efforts, and make confident decisions about expansion and investment.

A Unified Pitch in a Growing Market

The market for healthcare interoperability is not new, with established companies and specialized vendors offering solutions for data exchange and analytics. However, many of these tools address only a piece of the puzzle. ImageTrend's strategy with Carelytics is to offer a single, integrated suite that combines interoperability, patient matching, workflow analytics, and market intelligence.

The company is well-positioned to drive adoption. With a massive existing footprint that includes over 13,400 EMS agencies and more than 750 hospitals, ImageTrend already facilitates the processing of over 200,000 records daily. This existing network provides a powerful foundation for deploying a solution designed to connect these very entities.

By unifying these functions, Carelytics aims to reduce the complexity and cost associated with deploying multiple point solutions. For healthcare leaders navigating regulatory pressures, shrinking margins, and the ongoing push for digital transformation, an all-in-one platform that promises both immediate operational efficiencies and long-term strategic advantages presents a compelling value proposition. The success of Carelytics will ultimately depend on its ability to deliver on this promise of transforming fragmented incident data into a truly actionable strategic asset for modern healthcare systems.