This article discusses the results of a pilot study where EMS providers used body-worn cameras (BWCs) to see if they could help to improve the accuracy of their prehospital documentation.
EMS prehospital care reports have not been the focus of much research but there is a growing awareness that health care documentation in general is often incomplete and inaccurate.
A team of researchers1 wanted to explore the role that memory error may play in how well EMS providers record prehospital care of patients. Inaccuracy in prehospital documentation can lead directly to negative patient outcomes and potential liability.
Memory is a reconstructive process and not an infallible recording device. Gaps in memory are inevitable and we unconsciously fill in such gaps on the basis of what happened during previous experiences. What causes these gaps in memory? Stress and fatigue are two of the main culprits and they affect even highly experienced paramedics.
The researchers set up a pilot study with Hennepin County (Minnesota) EMS paramedics, who were equipped with head-mounted BWCs attached to clear lens occupational safety glasses. After documenting the event from memory, paramedics then reviewed the video to make any corrections.
Research takeaways
This study showed significant errors in documentation by seasoned paramedics. Use of video review during the documentation process effectively reduced errors.
Recording EMS-patient interactions may improve patient behavior and resolve complaints against paramedics.
BWCs can be used for peer-review, mentoring purposes.
A surprise finding was the lack of narrative documentation. Current practice involving use of electronic checkboxes and drop-down menus discourages the capture of narrative feedback from the paramedics. Wider adoption of electronic technology could help fix this problem.
Learn more about this research
For more about this study, read “The Trip Report: Can Body Cameras Improve Documentation?”
This research article is also available through our library by contacting netclrc@fema.dhs.gov. Interested readers may be able to access the article through their local library or through the publisher’s website.
1Ho, J D., Dawes, D. M., McKay, E. M., Taliercio, J. J., White, S. D., Woodbury, B. J., Sandefur, M. A., Miner, J.R. (2017). Effect of body-worn cameras on EMS documentation accuracy: a pilot study. Prehospital Emergency Care: 21(2), 263-271.