Paper or Computer?

Paper or Computer based reports?

  • Total voters
    87
We use Imagetrend in Maine. Maybe because I am a rookie, or maybe because of a "lifetime" in Healthcare IT, I prefer to NOT use a tough book in the back of the ambulance. I like to write down my findings, and document them in the EMS room at the hospitals we transport too. Sometimes I will record vitals on the laptop if I am the third hand, but if I am primary or assisting an ALS provider I prefer pen and paper.

Also, because if a background in IT, specifically healthcare IT I find it pretty easy to do the electronic run report at the PC where my skills at an EMT are still growing so I like to focus on the patient and what I am finding more so than the software.
 
mcdonl said:
We use Imagetrend in Maine. Maybe because I am a rookie, or maybe because of a "lifetime" in Healthcare IT, I prefer to NOT use a tough book in the back of the ambulance. I like to write down my findings, and document them in the EMS room at the hospitals we transport too. Sometimes I will record vitals on the laptop if I am the third hand, but if I am primary or assisting an ALS provider I prefer pen and paper.

Also, because if a background in IT, specifically healthcare IT I find it pretty easy to do the electronic run report at the PC where my skills at an EMT are still growing so I like to focus on the patient and what I am finding more so than the software.
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I tend to agree. Because we can pull up patient history in out computer though, I like to check if our patient is in the system. If they are, I confirm everything in there with them. If not, I usually drop the computer and write it all down. I think its more 'personal' if you write it rather than type right into the computer.
 
We're still using old fashioned pen and paper here. Typical LA county, stuck in the damn Bronze Age and fighting any and all attempts at transitioning to the modern world to the death. What do they say in the fire service? "You can't change 200 years of tradition"? I think that statement originated here. I seriously think people here would be happy with quilled pens, ink wells, and papyrus or using hieroglyphics to write PCRs.
 
Paper here. I'm with an IFT company in San Diego. We have to fill out practically the same damned sheet three times. Company PCR, county PCR, and then the Scantron on the back of the county PCR.

I don't understand why we have the company forms, we get to keep a copy of the county form, so why can't they just use that? There is no information on the company form that isn't on the county form.
 
At one service, we are using Zoll tablet EPCR and it's a huge PITA. I am NOT a fan. Our toughbooks are always losing connectivity, battery life sucks, the dispatch info isn't updated and loaded to the PCR as it should be which prevents it from being completed, the software is clunky and not logical to navigate. Maybe I will get used to it, but it ben a few months and every day i find a new bug or issue. I've used a couple of other electronic EMS charting software packages and I haven't see anything great. Of course, YMMV. (I actually developed a web based EPCR for my paramedic class to submit our reports to the clinical director. It was bare bones, but very easy to navigate and was fast.)

My other service still uses paper PCRs and while I hate the hand cramps, I appreciate being able to see my PCR as a whole document, write a complete narrative eithout a myriad of drop down menus and then instantly hand a copy to the ED staff at the end of a call.
 
The computer system in Wake County NC is pretty cool. Each rig has one toughbook in the front (navigation and dispatch), one in the back (PCRs). I know there is a wireless router in each truck, so I believe the systems run on that connection (I would imagine cell network?). You can upload data from the monitor into the software, start working on the PCR in the back of the truck (obviously stable patients only), and when you get to the hospital workroom, you can download some of the timing info off the network (dispatch time, time on scene, time off scene, arrival at hospital), and then upload and print the finished reports in the workrooms. Apparently they used to be able to access patient info on the computers until one of them was stolen, now everything has to be reinput every time (sure they'll fix this in the future).

For the record, no medic i've watched has pulled out the toughbook during patient care. They have little runsheet pads they can write notes on, which they will transfer to the laptop when they get the chance. Seems like a good system, but it might take a little too long to write the PCRs than necessary.
 
We use paper because we don't have the budget for computers. Additionally our country grant writer is more concerned about getting fire, road department, police, etc grants than EMS. To my knowledge I don't think we've ever had a grant proposal written for us but we wrote a proposal to upgrade our perfectly fine tornado sirens to a new system that is remotely activated and has all kinds of bells and whistles that links into our dispatch.
 
I work for 2 different companies.. One uses the computer and the other paper.
 
Paper all the way !

we had Image trend for a bout 3 years,,, nobody liked it.. I think the main issue was the computers we used. very old, slow, ...
about 3 months ago we went to paper forms,, and we all think it's great. only 3 pages, verses tabs across the top, then pull up menues at the bottom.. ARRGGGG..

paper for us now, 5 min and we are done.
 
We currently use paper based patient report forms but a new national project is underway to scope out electronic PRFs. This is a many year, multi million dollar program to design, test and implement a system for hundreds of vehicles and nearly 3,000 Ambulance Officers.

So don't expect results any time soon.
 
n7lxi said:
At one service, we are using Zoll tablet EPCR and it's a huge PITA. I am NOT a fan. Our toughbooks are always losing connectivity, battery life sucks, the dispatch info isn't updated and loaded to the PCR as it should be which prevents it from being completed, the software is clunky and not logical to navigate. Maybe I will get used to it, but it ben a few months and every day i find a new bug or issue. I've used a couple of other electronic EMS charting software packages and I haven't see anything great. Of course, YMMV. (I actually developed a web based EPCR for my paramedic class to submit our reports to the clinical director. It was bare bones, but very easy to navigate and was fast.)

My other service still uses paper PCRs and while I hate the hand cramps, I appreciate being able to see my PCR as a whole document, write a complete narrative eithout a myriad of drop down menus and then instantly hand a copy to the ED staff at the end of a call.
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We use Zoll TabletPCR here, too. I'm not a fan. The system is slooooooooooooow. Bringing up the medications section takes 20-30 seconds after you hit the button. Closing calls and printing reports takes 30-60 seconds. I've used the previous generation of Zoll software before (EMS Pro) and it was MUCH better, and way faster. We sync the addresses and times from CAD, but it won't send over mileage (I haven't figured this one out). Also, syncing with the Lifepak 12 sends over everything EXCEPT respiratory rates, so you still have to manually print vital signs and enter thim. PITA.
 
bump for more poll takers

I just found this thread, during a search ( yes search works if you know what to search for. LOL).

this topic was brought up tonight at our meeting..

we have been computer PCR for about 12 years, and recently went to paper because the comuter's were not working right, and alot of us new people did not like the computer logging software, and neither did our amb director. so we changed until some new software and computer issues are solved.

looks like on the poll, it's about 50/50..

we run about 300 calls / year.
 
Interesting thread....the service I work at uses both. We use paper in the field (for the most part....some of us go ahead and use computer). Then when we get back to the station we'll input into the computer. Then we have to scan the runsheets and all that good stuff. A bit complicated if you're not used to it, and a big waste of time since they pay people to work in the office, but don't let the office workers take care of the rest of the paperwork once the original runsheet is written.
 
Personally I prefer the computer since it cuts down on typos and such

That being said I usually end up doing paper and scanning it in. My service is still working on getting computers into the buses and we can only do computers at a station which we usually only see at the beginning and end of shift, which means staying late. After 12 hours I dont fancy spending any more time in my uniform or at the station
 
re

computer since 1995. Get with the program you dinosaurs :blink:
 
94H said:
Personally I prefer the computer since it cuts down on typos and such

That being said I usually end up doing paper and scanning it in. My service is still working on getting computers into the buses and we can only do computers at a station which we usually only see at the beginning and end of shift, which means staying late. After 12 hours I dont fancy spending any more time in my uniform or at the station
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I know how that goes LOL So you essentially have the same system we do. Write the paper, then input into the computer, then scan? LOL Why we even HAVE office workers I'd like to know LOL We EMTs have to do the paperwork. :rolleyes:
 
We have been using Image Trend on Toughbooks since the middle of this year. Just purchased Service Bridge through them so we can manage more ourselves. The state has it set up the way they like it. They don't even require a narrative.
 
paper and handed in or mailed to the central office to dossapear into a huge filing cabnit.
 
KY_EMT said:
Interesting thread....the service I work at uses both. We use paper in the field (for the most part....some of us go ahead and use computer). Then when we get back to the station we'll input into the computer. Then we have to scan the runsheets and all that good stuff. A bit complicated if you're not used to it, and a big waste of time since they pay people to work in the office, but don't let the office workers take care of the rest of the paperwork once the original runsheet is written.
Click to expand...

Same here. We have run sheets that we write down all the demographics, hx, meds, etc, then we type everything into the computer. After that we scan the run sheet, hospital info, and consent forms, and attach it the the computer copy and submit for qa.
 
toughbook

2441-overview.jpg
 
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