Hey, Chris Nold!  Remember the message about AMAs?
You said to All on 04 Nov 96  01:14:16...
 
CN> What would ya'll think if your company said you cannot clear "no sick or
CN> injured" on a scene you've been on, even if the patient(s) have NO
CN> complaint and NO damage to vehicle (in MVAs..)? This recently was put
CN> into play where I work, and I can't get over it. I haven't had a chance
CN> to speak with my clinical supervisor, but my questions about it are:
CN> what am I supposed to write as my assessment on a person without
CN> complaints and without injury? I was told by another employee that "on
CN> any MVA, even without vehicular damage, you can ALWAYS rule out Cspine
>injury....
Hi, Chris.
    Welcome to the world of litigation. :)  Your company is not the only one 
that has this type of "thorough" documentation, and it is strictly to cover 
your a$$ in the event of a lawsuit.  You can document "patients" that want 
nothing to do with the ambulance by recording their license plate number, the 
PD on the scene concurring that they aren't needed, and that you advised the 
patient to seek medical evaluation on their own.  For some companies, all 
calls that require you to run "hot" have to be documented thoroughly, or else 
you may (the company) have to pay higher insurance rates, if you're a private 
provider.  A good blurb to put in your documentation is:
    "Pt a 45 y/o male involved in a minor MVA.  Upon arrival, pt. complained
of no pain or discomfort, was conscious, alert oriented times 3, no visible 
damage to vehicle, Ford Escort tag#BE 8377 (CT).  Pt advised to seek medical
assistance/eval., refused EMS assistance, refused to sign "refusal to 
Treat" form, Meriden,CT PD officer Legere advised of medical refusal, and
unit returned to service."
    Believe me, 2 years from now, when you're being supoena'd in a civil 
ase,
you'll thank the mighty Lord above for a one- paragraph statement like that 
o
explain yourself.  Because the onus to prove ones case falls upon the 
complaintant, he'd better come up with a tape of the whole accident, or pound 
sand.  Believe me, it's worth writing a paragraph to CYA.  
    Paperwork sucks, but it can save yourself when you least expect it.  
Having been in a -criminal- hearing at a supposedly mundane call to a 
"fall victim" that resulted in the patient claiming "temporary insanity" and
beating his wife up later that day, documentation of the patient's refusal, 
s
well as the wife's reassurance to myself and the local police saved us and 
he
company from a whole lot of headaches.  (And this at a volunteer service,
thinking it's "safer". HA!)  
Regards,
Tom Patierno
--- Renegade v4-05 Exp
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