During the consultation exercise, we requested Ambulance and Fire Service Personnel to assist in developing a National Patient Report Form iPR8. As stated during our visits, this document must fulfil a number of requirements, not least providing continuity of patient care and information between the pre-hospital emergency and hospital phase of the patients treatment regime. This process of developing the PRF is still ongoing and we thank you for your efforts in contributing to it.
Data Set
Achieving an agreed minimum data set and definitions is an essential process to move the EMS away from anecdotal, subjective opinion, toward a more scientific clinical audit mechanism. This development will assist PHECC in identifying clinically effective treatment regimes to bring about best practice in the pre-hospital emergency setting. The data set will be developed as a direct result of the collaborative exercise between PHECC and EMTs. Our joint efforts will improve the quality and accuracy of information collected from the pre-hospital emergency environment and impact directly on the level of care we can provide to patients.
What's Next?
All feedback from the Building Capacity Project is currently being collated. A draft data set with definitions will be reviewed and fine tuned by the Council and Committee structures over the next few months. Further consultation is planned as the PRF develops. As you are aware PHECC representatives will be calling back to visit you at the proposed regional meetings.
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Early 2003
During the first quarter of 2003 the form itself will start to take shape. EMTs observations regarding the size and layout of the form will be considered in the context of user and design requirements. At this early stage there is merit in proposing one form, though there may be more than one sheet required to include all the data items. Future progress and the potential of an electronic PRF will also impact on the design specification. EMTs will be kept up to date via future newssheets, PCs at Ambulance Stations and on www.phecc.ie
We would again like to thank you all for the hospitality given to us at each of the Ambulance Stations. We are also grateful to both Management and Staff representatives of the Health Boards and DFB who assisted us with arrangements for our meetings. We would like to acknowledge the contribution of EMTs both verbal and written relating to the design and critical content of the PRF. To conclude we would also like to remind everybody to continue to send on ideas for consideration as this project develops.
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