June 25, 2024
The book notes we can use the EMS providers leave facility time. In two cases this morning the patient left later on the ED timeline than on the EMS record, but the abstraction was of the EMS leave time. Understanding everyone’s watch / clock could be a little different, I want to review at our network peer tomorrow. Historically I abstracted using the timeline first as my hierarchy = as in my head the hospital should be recording when the patient left. I would refer to the EMS trip sheet only when the timeline was either missing an OTF time or it didn’t make sense i.e. the patient was at CC before the referring facility said they left Schuylkill. What would be your guidance on this matter? Should a hierarchy reflect the latest time or ED documentation first?
I would look for the hospital documentation first, using the latest time from the hospital, and using EMS time if you cannot find documentation of time left, or if it is illogical. We added the option to use EMS time because often the referring facility records are missing data. If the times seem incongruent, you may need to make a call to use the EMS time. If the difference, however, is just a few minutes, as you noted people look at different watches, then I would use the hospital data.
Can't find an answer to your question? No problem simply submit your question via email.