I have a concern with the 24 hour time period for EMS providers to provide patient care documentation to the receiving hospital as noted in the section below.

“12VAC5-31-1140 12VAC5-31-1140. Provision of patient care documentation.

It is imperative that written patient documentation is provided to the receiving hospital at the time the patient is delivered to the emergency department.  Although providers do deliver a verbal report, there is still vital information from the prehospital care that must be on the chart.  This includes times and rhythms in cardiac arrest, onset of symptoms in stroke care, and treatment/medications delivered by EMS that must be available to the health care team at the receiving hospital.  This is especially important in critical patients who may have to go to the operating room, or receive vital life-saving care in other departments.  In these situations, there must be written EMS documentation on the patient's chart to help consultants and facilitate the transfer of care.

I am an emergency room physician and former paramedic.  As a physician, EMS documentation is vital in caring for patients as it allows me to know how the patient initially presented, and gives information such as the initial physical exam and vital signs.  The lack of a written prehospital care report or a short-report form leaves out a large portion of the patient's medical presentation.  As a former paramedic, I could never imagine leaving a patient at a hospital without some form of written documentation.  This is a form of abandonment, and results in an incomplete patient transfer.  Although a verbal report is given, not all the vital information can be covered, nor remembered by the health care team, to allow for excellant patient care.  Therefore, written documentation should be left with the patient at the time of arrival at the receiving facility, NOT within 24 hours.