Policy or procedure
Documentation
Minimum expectations of medical documentation include the following:
- Accurate, legible, contemporaneous and complete
- The importance lies in patient care, communication and potential medico‐legal issues
- All ED notes should have a patient label, medical doctor’s name and designation, date and time, signature, clinical diagnosis and plan
Notes are audited regularly in our Emergency Department.
Instead of hand writing notes, you can type your notes using the following templates:
In trauma and resuscitation cases it can be difficult to maintain documentation when patient care is a priority. This should be done in a contemporaneous manner, and updated regularly as more information or findings arise. Completion of the full documentation should be done at the earliest possible opportunity. As it is in these cases that patient history, communication and medico‐legal issues can become paramount.
Documentation In A Resuscitation
- In PMH Emergency Department, use the Emergency Resuscitation Form for documentation (MR301.05 – with an orange border, located in the Resuscitation Bay)
- It is essential to place a patient sticker on the front and back of the form
- Write clearly your name and designation at the top, and sign the bottom, and document all staff present at the resuscitation
- Further notes can be made on the ED Medical Progress Notes Template or Clinical Progress Notes if required
- Discussions with medical specialities should be documented, timed, dated and signed, and contain the name and title of the Speciality Doctor
Documentation In A Trauma
- In PMH Emergency Department, use the ED Major Trauma Form (MR301.04 – an A3 folded sheet located in the Resuscitation Bay)