Articles
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CQI Program Management
Patient Refusals: Part 5. Incomplete or Missing Vital Signs
The Most Preventable Dangerous Call in EMS? This article is the fifth installment in a 7-part series on EMS patient refusal implementation and documentation. Each article examines one specific area of refusal documentation and how to best execute a patient refusal and document the interaction in a legally defensible manner. [...]
Why Fire Chiefs and EMS Leaders Need Unbiased CQI
Why Fire Chiefs and EMS Leaders Need Unbiased CQI — And Why Outsourcing Is Often the Only Way to Get It By Paul Girard For years, EMS agencies have tried to run quality improvement programs in‑house, believing that internal oversight would naturally lead to better care. But as the demands [...]
Patient Refusals: Part 4. Failure to Contact Medical Control on High-Risk Refusals
The Most Preventable Dangerous Call in EMS? This article is the 4th installment in a 7-part series on EMS patient refusal implementation and documentation. Each article will take a look at one specific area of refusal documentation and how to best execute a patient refusal and document the interaction in [...]
Patient Refusals: Part 3. Risks of Refusal Not Properly Explained
The Most Preventable Dangerous Call in EMS? This article is the 3rd installment in a 7-part series on EMS patient refusal implementation and documentation. Each article will take a look at one specific area of refusal documentation and how to best execute a patient refusal and document the interaction in [...]
Patient Refusals: Part 2. Missing Signatures and Incomplete Refusal Forms: The Most Common Risk to the Patient, EMS Provider, and Agency
The Most Preventable Dangerous Call in EMS? This article is the 2nd installment in a 7-part series on EMS patient refusal implementation and documentation. Each article will take a look at one specific area of refusal documentation and how to best execute a patient refusal and document the interaction in [...]
Patient Refusals: Part 1. Incomplete Patient Assessment: The Most Common Risk to the Patient, EMS Provider, and Agency
The Most Preventable Dangerous Call in EMS? By Paul Girard & Kevin Kelley Every patient refusal stands or falls on one foundational question: Did EMS complete and document a sufficient assessment before accepting the refusal? When refusals are later scrutinized by a medical director, OEMS, DALA, or a court, incomplete [...]
Patient Refusals: A Risk to an EMS Providers Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness
The Most Preventable Dangerous Call in EMS? By Paul Girard & Kevin Kelley This article is the first in a 7-part series on EMS patient refusal implementation and documentation. Each article will take a look at one specific area of refusal documentation and how to best execute a patient refusal [...]
The Expert Reviewers Behind The G&A Way
Celebrating the EMS 1%’ers: The Expert Reviewers Behind The G&A Way! In emergency medicine, excellence isn’t optional—it’s essential. Nowhere is that more evident than in the elite ranks of EMS documentation professionals known as the EMS 1%’ers at Girard & Associates, Inc. Our expert reviewers represent the top tier of [...]
The G&A Way: How We Do It
Girard & Associates Delivers Unbiased, Expert EMS Run Report Reviews That Protect Patients, Providers—and Reputations! Could your patient care report withstand the scrutiny of a nationally televised murder trial—or protect you from charges if a critical mistake leads to tragedy? For EMS professionals, a single documentation error can carry life-or-death [...]
