I have always appreciated receiving a current list of meds and medical conditions, it makes recording the information so much easier and more importantly I can scan the list and try to make connections to the current reason they called for ambulance/medic unit.

I have the privilege of knowing and attending classes taught by a long time paramedic, who instilled the precept that we always keep in mind, we are there for the patient and needed to treat each individual we come into contact with respect and compassion. In his many years of experience and in reviewing complaint cases, he found that EMTs/Paramedics who had interacted with patients and/or family with attitude, regardless of the adherence to protocols and successful outcomes had a much higher rate of being charged with malpractice. EMTs/Paramedics who may have not have adhered to protocols or had unsuccessful outcomes, but treated the patients/family with respect; compassion and understanding were almost always given high marks by the patients and families and had a very low incidence of malpractice and complaints filed against them.

Pete