A new service could help hospitals treat heart attack patients, a company says.

Representatives of Medtronic, a medical equipment company, demonstrated the service at hospitals in Bismarck Wednesday. It uses a high-speed Internet connection to transmit electrocardiograms to hospitals and catheterization labs. The hope is that it could reduce treatment time for heart attack patients.

It starts with an emergency medical service member giving the electrocardiogram, which they already do. Instead of calling or faxing the information to the hospital, they can send over the Internet. From there, it can be sent to the hospital.

Hospitals would need to subscribe to the service. The company would use a secured server to transmit the electrocardiogram to the hospital.

The American Heart Association supports the technology. A study in Houston showed it reduced treatment time and improved the outcome for the patient.

Demonstrations were provided to St. Alexius Medical Center and Medcenter One.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)