Patient Encounter Forms

[zebra_emt]

I am looking for good patient care forms for use on calls. I do pretty well keeping everything in my head but I am close to being finished with Medic Class and want to be able to make sure I have all the correct info when I am out on my own.

Thanks

[firedoc5]

I found that just a good old fashion small note book can help, but mainly I wrote on my hand (smear proof ink of course). I used the excuse that you can't loose your notes like that. Now I knew a few guys that drew up and copied their own forms to carry. You can try that. It might be trial and error on what to note that is and isn't important. And off the record, most of them seemed to be some real wankers.

[Richard B the EMT]

Doesn't the department you ride/work for supply some kind of "pre-hospital care" form, or "ambulance call report?

If they don't, a Google search might help you find some commercial format available for purchase.

[spenac]

Look up radio report form EMS or pre hospital report and you will find some ideas. But really just a blank note pad or glove works fine to place your info.

[aryan51]

a long strip of cloth tape on the thigh works great too

[nsmedic393]

My advice...learn to memorize...

When i was a student doing my ride time that was the philosophy that my preceptors had and it is the approach i still take today, and it serves me well.

You may not always have a pen and paper but you will always have your memory. That being said, if i am running a really crazy call than i will key in blank events on the lifepack (if its a busy enough call that i have trouble remembering when i did treatments, the lifepack will be hooked to the patient and within reach). Then all you have to do is remember what order you did stuff in and match it to the events.

Everyone will develop their own techniques for chronicling what happened on a call but i use my memory and if you are able then i recommend you do the same.

[Dustdevil]

My advice...learn to memorize...

You know, I realise that sounds asinine to those with limited experience. On the surface, it does sound ridiculous. But seriously, I never forget my vital signs, nor the answers to my assessment questions. After awhile, you just learn to retain it all, and that is a very positive day in your development when that happens.

See, in the early days of your career, you're still asking questions simply to be asking them. You are not yet developed enough to be actively assimilating the answers into a big picture in your mind as you ask them. So, you have to write them down, then go back and look at them after they're all asked, and try and analyse from them what the problem is. Or, worse yet (and more frequently) simply operate reactively from those numbers instead of really coming to a specific diagnosis and plan at all.

The problem is, the longer you get all distracted by the act of writing all your answers down, the longer it takes you to start thinking and acting in-line, as you assess, resulting in a much longer time until you become a competent, autonomously functioning practitioner. And if you are so into the act of writing these things down that you think you need a special form to do it with, then you're shooting yourself in the foot. I submit that if you simply keep using the tape on your knee, the glove on your hand, or the sheet on your cot to write this stuff on, you will get tired of it a lot quicker, and consequently start developing both your memory and assessment skills a lot faster. Otherwise, that piece of paper becomes more of a crutch and stumbling block than it does an aid to your practice.

Your time as a student is the best time to start developing that. Once you are "on your own," people are going to expect you to already have your shit together. That is not the time to finally start trying to function competently. Besides, once you are on your own, your employer is going to be providing PCR sheets to fill out anyhow. Just use whatever they provide you. I can't think of any good reason to go off developing your own form. Perhaps I am missing something though. Can you explain more about exactly what you mean by a "patient contact form"?

[Scaramedic]

Glove. I still write my vitals signs down, BP at minimum. The rest of it I can remember.

[aryan51]

You know, I realise that sounds asinine to those with limited experience. On the surface, it does sound ridiculous. But seriously, I never forget my vital signs, nor the answers to my assessment questions. After awhile, you just learn to retain it all, and that is a very positive day in your development when that happens.

See, in the early days of your career, you're still asking questions simply to be asking them. You are not yet developed enough to be actively assimilating the answers into a big picture in your mind as you ask them. So, you have to write them down, then go back and look at them after they're all asked, and try and analyse from them what the problem is. Or, worse yet (and more frequently) simply operate reactively from those numbers instead of really coming to a specific diagnosis and plan at all.

The problem is, the longer you get all distracted by the act of writing all your answers down, the longer it takes you to start thinking and acting in-line, as you assess, resulting in a much longer time until you become a competent, autonomously functioning practitioner. And if you are so into the act of writing these things down that you think you need a special form to do it with, then you're shooting yourself in the foot. I submit that if you simply keep using the tape on your knee, the glove on your hand, or the sheet on your cot to write this stuff on, you will get tired of it a lot quicker, and consequently start developing both your memory and assessment skills a lot faster. Otherwise, that piece of paper becomes more of a crutch and stumbling block than it does an aid to your practice.

Your time as a student is the best time to start developing that. Once you are "on your own," people are going to expect you to already have your shit together. That is not the time to finally start trying to function competently. Besides, once you are on your own, your employer is going to be providing PCR sheets to fill out anyhow. Just use whatever they provide you. I can't think of any good reason to go off developing your own form. Perhaps I am missing something though. Can you explain more about exactly what you mean by a "patient contact form"?

Very well said! Before i got into this field i sold beer, and when i first started i needed to write all my numbers down to remember them but after a while they just started sticking in my head.

Just takes a little experience! I don't see the harm in a little crutch when you're learning as long as you don't continue to rely on it. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks", so teach your dog the important tricks young!

Sorry for the bad analogies. Haha!

[Just Plain Ruff]

I seem to remember that Whacker are Us er I mean Galls sold a notebook that had patient care information forms in a neat little package. I'm not sure if WAU(whackers are us) still carries that stuff.

Just make your own.

go into microsoft word or whatever word processor you use and put this stuff in

name:______________________________

age: _______________________________

date of birth: __________________

Allergies: ____________________

past medical history: ________________________________

_________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

past surgical history: __________________________________

__________________________________________________--

HPI: ____________________________________________--

What they did for themselves: ______________________

_____________________________________________---

What you did for them: ________________________________

___________________________________________________

Notes:

Tha'ts all you really need