Thorough and complete documentation is the key to compliance for EMS agencies. Your crews might see it as routine paperwork. Auditors see it as evidence. Lawyers see it as lawsuit fodder. At Digitech, we see it as the foundation of compliance and the safeguard for your agency’s revenue.
Taking the time to monitor and improve documentation can maximize revenue now by ensuring your claims are billed timely and appropriately. Strong documentation also protects you in the future by avoiding or reducing overpayment demands if you are subjected to an audit or investigation.
Here are three ways to improve your documentation that won’t take much time but will make a big impact.
1. Verify Crew Signatures and Credentials
Having an appropriately staffed ambulance for the level of service provided is necessary for compliance. Ensure accurate credentials are populating on the ePCR for each crew member. It’s easy for credentials to drop off during software updates or other system changes, and what seems like a small glitch can turn into a major headache if not addressed.
For compliance bonus points, have all crew members sign the PCR. It’s not a requirement in all states, but it is a best practice. A signature authenticates any interventions performed by the crew member, provides proof they were present, and creates a stronger record. In fact, we have seen audits where the EMS agency was required to get attestation statements well after the fact from crew members who didn’t sign the PCR at the time.
The next one is simple, but it’s an area you don’t want to be tripped up.
2. Train Staff to Proofread
It won’t make you popular, but it will improve your documentation. When the author of the report takes a few minutes to proofread, they can catch and correct missing, inaccurate, or inconsistent details before they cause problems.
In the vitals and treatments sections, look for dropdown or checkbox errors (such as selecting SPO2 reading on oxygen vs. room air or medication administration via IV vs. IO), watch for vitals that don’t make sense, and inconsistencies between sections. In the narrative, check for misspellings, incomplete sentences, and contradictions within the narrative or with other parts of the chart.
Narratives that are auto generated or written with the assistance of AI are not immune from needing to be proofread. If anything, they require closer scrutiny to ensure accuracy and readability.
And finally, a strategy that that’s absolutely critical for compliance.
3. Obtain Valid Patient Signatures
A patient signature should be obtained for every transport unless the patient is physically or mentally incapable of signing. When a patient is incapable of signing, the crew must document the reason clearly and ensure that it is consistent with and supported by the rest of the documentation.
Common but invalid reasons we often see documented as to why a patient couldn’t sign include transfer of care/patient receiving care in the ER and contamination. We recommend removing these as options for crews to select as they don’t actually pertain to a patient’s inability to sign.
Encourage crews to double-check they are in the correct section or tab before obtaining a signature so it populates in the correct place on the PCR. The only person who should sign in the area for the patient, sometimes referred to as section 1, is the patient. The authorized representative area, sometimes referred to as section 2, is where a family member, power of attorney, or sending facility staff member would sign if the patient is incapable. The final area, sometimes referred to as section 3, is where the crew member and the receiving facility representative sign if the patient is incapable.
Bottom Line
Documentation deserves the same attention as clinical skills. It is a broad topic that should regularly be discussed and evaluated with your crews. While these three areas are just part of what should be addressed, they are common trouble spots that we see regularly delay claim submission or raise potential compliance concerns. By consistently monitoring documentation practices and addressing issues as they arise, your agency can strengthen compliance, safeguard revenue, and prevent avoidable headaches.