Top 10 Documentation Mistakes Ambulance Providers Make – and Supervisors Overlook

Steve Wirth, Esq., EMT-P, one of the nation’s leading EMS attorneys and a founding partner of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, gave a very dynamic presentation on improving documentation at the annual meeting of the American Ambulance Assocation (AAA) on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, at the MGM Grand Hotel Conference Center in Las Vegas. Wirth carefully dissected the documentation process to show how quality patient care reports (PCRs) support the clinical, operational, and reimbursement aspects of your ambulance operation. He illustrated how some services can’t bring these three elements together and are on a continuous “treadmill of mediocrity” when it comes to truly taking their documentation to the next level. He drilled down to the core of the most critical documentation mistakes field providers make – and supervisors overlook and covered specific strategies to improve performance in these key areas of your operation. The First Challenge: Fighting Apathy & Laziness! Wirth started by saying that personnel have to learn to be accountable, accept the fact that EMS is a “collaborative” process, and that we are ultimately accountable to the patient and the public; and an essential aspect of patient care. For additional information on best practices to improving documentation, see the gallery that accompanies this article. Mistake #1: Poor Spelling, Bad Grammar & Use of Improper Acronyms and Abbreviation. Crews need to pay attention to these important areas b...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Exclusive Articles Documentation & Patient Care Reporting Source Type: news