EMS Protocol App That Works
Without Cell Signal
Basement codes. Rural scenes. Dead zones. MedicDex caches your entire protocol book locally after the first load — search, drug calculator, cardiac arrest manager, all of it works with zero internet connection.
Why Offline Matters for EMS
Cell signal is unreliable exactly when you need it most. Basement cardiac arrests. Rural trauma calls. Hospital parking structures. Underground garages. The middle of a corn field at 2am. If your protocol app requires internet, it fails you in the field.
MedicDex was designed from the ground up with offline as a first-class feature — not an afterthought.
What Works Offline
Full Protocol Search
The entire protocol index is cached locally. Search for any drug, condition, or procedure in under a second — no network request made.
Drug Calculator
Weight-based dosing, mL draw-up calculations, contraindications — all calculated locally from the cached formulary. No server needed.
Cardiac Arrest Manager
Timers, medication log, PCR export — the entire arrest manager runs locally. Timers persist even if the phone screen locks.
Protocol Book
Browse all protocol sections by category, view full text, read page numbers — entirely from local cache.
Clinical Mode
Tap any scenario — Chest Pain, Stroke, Trauma — and see the relevant protocols and drugs. Fully offline.
How It Works Technically
MedicDex is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that uses a service worker to cache all assets and protocol data on the first load. After that first load, the app works identically whether you have signal or not.
When protocol updates are published by your admin, the cache updates automatically the next time a crew member opens the app with signal — silently in the background. No action needed from the crew.
Compared to Other EMS Apps
| Feature | MedicDex | Typical EMS Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Works offline | ✓ Always | Partial or never |
| No app store needed | ✓ | Usually required |
| Drug calculator offline | ✓ | Often requires connection |
| Protocol updates auto-sync | ✓ Silent | Varies |
| Works on any phone/browser | ✓ | iOS or Android specific |
See it work offline yourself
Open the app on your phone, turn off WiFi and data, and try searching a protocol. It just works.
Request a Demo →Frequently Asked Questions
Does offline mode include the actual PDF pages?
The text content of all protocols is cached offline. Viewing the original PDF page images requires a connection, as PDFs are large files. The full text, search, and drug data are always available offline.
What if the protocol gets updated while I'm offline?
You'll continue to see the version cached on your device. The next time you open the app with signal, it will automatically download the latest version in the background. A version change banner will alert you that your protocols were updated.
How much storage does it use?
Typically 3-8MB depending on the size of your department's protocol book. Negligible on any modern phone.