when should patient care report be completed

by Mrs. Ressie Ruecker 4 min read

Patient Care Report (PCR) Documentation Guidelines s - GCHD

35 hours ago Patient Care Report (PCR) Documentation Guidelines s. Page 2 of 34. Page 3 of 34 EMS Management & Consultants, Inc. • Established in 1996 ... • In case of round trip, documentation should be completed for each leg of the transport. Separate trip sheets are recommended. >> Go To The Portal


Reports are typically completed by nurses or other licensed personnel. They should then be filed by the healthcare professional who witnessed the incident or by the first staff member who was notified about it. Patient incident reports should be completed no more than 24 to 48 hours after the incident occurred.

Complete the PCR as soon as possible after a call
Most states, and many EMS agencies themselves, often have time limits within which the PCR must be completed after the call ended – 24, 48 or 72 hours are common time limits.
Dec 13, 2017

Full Answer

How long do I have to complete a patient care report?

C) your patient care report must be completed within 36 hours after the call. 17. Prior to submitting a patient care report to the receiving hospital, it is MOST important for: A) your partner to review the report to ensure accuracy.

When must a prehospital care report be completed?

(1) A prehospital care report shall be completed for each patient treated when acting as part of an organized prehospital emergency medical service, and a copy shall be provided to the hospital receiving the patient and to the authorized agent of the department for use in the State's quality assurance program; Title 10 NYCRR Part 800.21:

Who should review a patient care report before submitting?

Prior to submitting a patient care report to the receiving hospital, it is MOST important for: A) your partner to review the report to ensure accuracy. B) the EMS medical director to review the report briefly. C) the paramedic who authored the report to review it carefully. D) the quality assurance team to review the report for accuracy.

What is a patient care report and why is it important?

EMTs and paramedics are required to complete a patient care report for each patient encounter. Merriam-Webster defines report as “a usually detailed account or statement.” [1] Notice the word “detailed” in that definition.

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What is included in a patient care report?

The patient care report should still be completed and should include a complete patient assessment (as complete as was performed), as well as documentation supporting the refusal of care and/or complete assessment.

What is a prehospital care report?

The prehospital care report or PCR (also ePCR when in the electronic format) serves as the only record of each individual patient contact, treatment, transportation, or cancellation of services within each EMS service.

How to correct errors in EMS?

Errors discovered after a handwritten report form is submitted should be corrected, preferably with different color ink, by drawing a single line through the error, initialing and dating it, and the addition of a note with the correct information. If information was omitted, a note should be added with the correct information, the date, and the initials of the EMS professional.

What should be included in an EMS document?

Documentation should include any care or treatment plan the EMS professional wished to provide for the patient, and the statement that the EMS professional explained to the patient detailing possible consequences of failure to accept care, up to and including potential death.

What should be included in a PCR?

As well as the times of the assessments and treatments provided, the PCR should include detailed signs and symptoms and other assessment findings such as vital signs, and all the specific emergency care provided. Also documented are changes in patient condition ...

How to correct errors in a report form?

ERROR CORRECTION: Errors discovered while the report form is being hand-written should be corrected by drawing a single horizontal line through the error, initialing it, and writing the correct information beside it.

What is patient disposition?

The patient disposition is also recorded, including who patient care was turned over to (usually a nurse at a receiving hospital) or a patient refusal.

When should PCR be completed?

While it is always important to comply with time limits, there are benefits to getting your PCR completed as soon as possible – preferably right after the call is completed and before your shift ends. In a perfect world, every PCR would be completed before the next call, however we all know that is usually not the case.

How long does it take to complete a PCR?

Most states, and many EMS agencies themselves, often have time limits within which the PCR must be completed after the call ended – 24, 48 or 72 hours are common time limits.

What is PCR in healthcare?

The PCR must paint a picture of what happened during a call. The PCR serves: 1 As a medical record for the patient, 2 As a legal record for the events that took place on the call, and 3 To ensure quality patient care across the service.

What should a PCR tell?

The PCR should tell a story; the reader should be able to imagine themselves on the scene of the call.

Why do you write PCR when you call?

Writing the PCR as soon as the call is over helps because the call is still fresh in your mind . This will help you to better describe the scene and the condition the patient was in during your call.

Why is an IV established on the patient?

This specifically explains why an IV was established on the patient and states facts that can be used to show medical necessity for the call. The same can be said for non-emergency transports between two hospitals. Simply documenting that the patient was transported for a “higher level of care” is not good enough.

How to determine if a medical necessity is met?

A primary way to determine if medical necessity requirements are met is with documentation that specifically states why you took the actions you did on a call. For example, simply documenting “per protocol” as the reason why an IV was started or the patient was placed on a cardiac monitor is not enough.

What is a well written patient care report?

A well-written patient care report will put the reader, regardless of their level of medical knowledge, in the ambulance with the patient. It will allow the reader to see it, hear it, feel it, smell it. You don’t get that from an outline.

What should crews do after writing a narrative?

After writing the narrative, crews should review the data elements and ensure that each one of them is fully explained and easily understandable by any reader of the report. As they review each of those data elements, they should ask themselves, “What question could someone who was not here witnessing this patient encounter first-hand, possibly have about this particular aspect of my patient’s presentation, treatment and response to care?” And then, “Does my documentation fully address those questions?

What should crews see in ePCR?

Crews should see those ePCR drop-down lists and checkboxes as reminders of data elements that need to be expanded upon, and fully developed and documented in a clear chronological narrative. In other words, see the data elements of the ePCR as building blocks for your narrative, not as a replacement for it.

Is PCR a patient care outline?

The PCR is not a patient care outline. EMTs and paramedics are required to complete a patient care report for each patient encounter. Merriam-Webster defines report as “a usually detailed account or statement.”. [1] Notice the word “detailed” in that definition.

How often do you submit PCRs for ambulance?

PCRs shall be submitted at least monthly, or more often if so indicated by the program agency.

What is the confidentiality of health information?

Maintaining confidentiality is an essential part of all health care, including prehospital care. The confidentiality of personal health information (PHI) is covered by numerous state and federal statutes, Polices, Rules and Regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and 10 NYCRR.

Do EMS have to leave PCR?

EMS services are required to leave a paper copy or transfer the electronic PCR information to the hospital prior to the EMS service leaving the hospital. This document must minimally include, patient demographics, presenting problem, assessment findings, vital signs, and treatment rendered.

What chapter is Emergency Care in the Streets?

Emergency Care in the Streets Chapter 6: Documenta…

What should a paramedic do before leaving the emergency department?

If the paramedic is unable to complete his or her patient care report before departing the emergency department, he or she should: A) leave, at a minimum, the patient's name and age, but recognize that the physician will perform his or her own exam.

What is a C billing system?

C) is a nationwide billing system that any EMS provider can use.

When is a progress note required after a procedure?

If the operative or procedural report is not placed in the medical record immediately following the procedure, then a progress note must be immediately entered after the procedure to provide pertinent information to the next provider of care.

What is required in a progress note?

The minimum required elements include; the name of the primary surgeon and assistants procedures performed and description of each procedure findings any estimated blood loss, any specimens removed, and the post operative diagnosis.

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Be Specific

Paint A Picture of The Call

Do Not Fall Into Checkbox Laziness

  • Competent adults always have the right to refuse medical treatment. In the instance that a patient is attempting to refuse treatment or transport by Emergency Medical Services, an EMS professional should ensure the patient is able to make a rational, informed decision. 1. EMS should inform the patient why he/she should go and 2. what may happen to ...
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Complete The PCR as Soon as Possible After A Call

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  • The PCR must paint a picture of what happened during a call. The PCR serves: 1. As a medical record for the patient, 2. As a legal record for the events that took place on the call, and 3. To ensure quality patient care across the service. PCRs should go beyond merely stating that a patient was picked up at a certain location, transported to another location and that the transpor…
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