History taking, assessment and documentation for paramedics

Abstract

Abstract published with permission. Paramedic practice is progressing at a more rapid pace now than at any time in its history. Paramedics need to align their method of assessing patients to integrate into the multi-disciplinary team involved in the patient's journey of care and treatment. The review of systems (RoS) approach is widely used and accepted in healthcare, and easily assimilates into paramedic practice. RoS improves patient care by holistically assessing the patient, and can make the inter-professional handover of a patient to another team more professionally acceptable. Documentation using the RoS is more comprehensive and less prone to errors.