Collect response information

An EMS Emergency Medical Services incident is any event that necessitates a ground or air response to a call for emergency medical services by a public or private emergency medical service organization. The EHR module automatically assigns a unique number to each new incident, and you need to identify the type of incident, the level of urgency the incident needed, the responding stations, shifts, units, and so forth.

1. (If you have not done so already) Access the EHR module in the ESO Suite.

   1. Do one of the following.

      • (If you are already working in the ESO Suite) Click the Home icon in the upper left corner of the screen.

        

      • (If you have not yet logged in) Log in to the ESO Suite.

        1. In a web browser, go to https://www.esosuite.net/EsoSuite.

           The ESO Suite login screen appears.

        2. Enter your user name, password, and agency name, then click Let's Go.

           If MFA multi-factor authentication is enabled, the Multi-factor authentication dialog box appears, displaying one or more methods you can use to verify your login credentials. The number of methods that appear in the dialog box depends on what MFA methods your ESO Suite administrators enabled in the Admin module.

           Click graphics to open them.

           Information on enabling MFA and specific MFA methods is available in the Admin module online help, in Configure multiple-factor authentication.

           Note: If your ESO Suite administrators have disabled MFA ("opted-out"), this dialog does not appear.

        3. (If the Multi-factor authentication dialog box appears) Depending on which buttons appear in the dialog box, verify your login in one of the following ways.

           With an authenticator application.

           1. Click MFA verification via authenticator app.

              The dialog box updates with boxes for entering the numbers of the authentication code, and the ESO Suite sends an authentication code to the authenticator application installed on your device.

              

           2. Open your authenticator application and note the authentication code currently displayed.

           3. Enter the authentication code displayed in the authenticator application.

           4. Click Log In.

           With a text message (SMS short message service).

           1. Click MFA verification via SMS.

              The dialog box updates with boxes for entering the numbers of the authentication code, and the ESO Suite sends an authentication code to the phone number recorded in your PM records and identified with MFA codes.

              

           2. Enter the authentication code sent to your MFA-registered phone number.

           3. Click Log In.

           With an email message.

           1. Click MFA verification via email.

              The dialog box updates with boxes for entering the numbers of the authentication code, and the ESO Suite sends an authentication code to your agency or department email address, recorded in your PM records.

              

           2. Enter the authentication code sent to your agency or department email address.

           3. Click Log In.

      The ESO Suite landing screen appears.

      Click graphics to open them.

      Note: If MFA multi-factor authentication is enabled, you can access and manage your MFA options through the PM module, on the Settings > Account page, as described in Manage a user account. If your agency or department has enabled MFA but has not purchased the full-featured version of the PM module, you can access your own MFA settings by clicking Change my Multi-Factor Authentication settings on the landing screen, then using the Settings > Account page that appears. If your agency has not enabled MFA, the Change my Multi-Factor Authentication settings link does not appear on the landing screen.

   2. On the top side of the home screen, click EHR.

      Tip: If your screen or browser window is too narrow to display all your agency's ESO Suite module icons, an options icon appears on the right side of the icon bar. If you click the options icon, a menu appears containing additional module icons.

      The EHR screen appears, displaying a list of patient records in the EHR module. The most-recent records appear at the top of the list.

      

      Different record status icons can appear in the list.

      Icon	Status
      	Unlocked/Draft The patient record exists in the ESO Suite database, and all crew members listed in the patient record may edit all fields in the record. ESO Suite administrators and personnel with security roles of either EHR Supervisor or EHR Manager can edit non-clinical fields.
      	Mobile The patient record exists on the mobile device, and has not been synchronized with the ESO Suite database. ESO Suite administrators, personnel with security roles of either EHR Supervisor or EHR Manager, and all crew members listed in the patient record can only access a print view of the record. Once the Mobile record synchronizes with the ESO Suite database. the record reflects its current status.
      	Locked The patient record exists in the ESO Suite database, and is locked. Only non-clinical fields can be edited by crew members listed in the patient record, ESO Suite administrators and personnel with security roles of either EHR Supervisor or EHR Manager.

2. (If you have not done so already) Add a new patient record, or search for the existing patient record you want to work with.

   Information on adding or opening a patient record is available in Add a patient record and Search for a patient record.

   The patient record opens and displays the Incident tab, with the Response bookmark selected in the left pane. Fields appear in the right pane for specifying basic information about the incident

   

   If you manually created a new patient record, the Incident Number and State Tracking Number fields populate automatically with ESO Suite-assigned values. You must enter data in all other required fields.

   If you imported data from a CAD Computer Aided Dispatch system, the Incident Number field populates with the data from that source. Other fields in the EHR module may also populate from these sources, depending on what data was recorded in them before the data was imported into the EHR module.

3. (If necessary) Edit the incident number or update the CAD information.

   1. (If necessary) In Incident Number, edit the EHR-generated incident number.

      The ESO EHR module automatically generates this number, unless it is already created by a CAD Computer Aided Dispatch system and imported with the incident information. The ESO-generated incident number consists of the chart-creation date/time and your service’s ESO agency ID. More than one patient can be associated with the same incident number.

   2. (If necessary) Click CAD Import to update the CAD data in the patient record.

      Note: The CAD incident number overwrites any existing incident number. However, you can edit or replace the incident number as needed for your agency. Other fields in the EHR module may also populate with data from the CAD vendor.

4. Provide run information for the incident.

   1. In Run Number, type your agency's unique internal EMS Emergency Medical Services response number for this EMS unit/vehicle's response to the incident.

   2. For Run Type, choose 911 Response, Medical Transport, Non-Emergency IFT, or click Other and select the appropriate single option from the menu that appears.

      The run type describes the type or category of service requested of the EMS agency responding to the incident.

      If you choose Mutual Aid, the Mutual Aid field appears below Run Type.

      If you choose Standby, the Standby Purpose field appears below Run Type.

   3. (If it appears) For Mutual Aid, choose Rv for level of care, Rv for patient pickup,or click Other and select the appropriate single option from the menu that appears.

      Mutual aid occurs when either your agency handles an incident within its jurisdiction with additional manpower or equipment from one or more agencies outside its jurisdiction, or when your agency responds into another agency's jurisdiction, to provide assistance at an incident or to cover a vacated station while the receiving agency is busy at an incident. Aid given or received can be either mutual or automatic.

   4. (If it appears) For Standby Purpose, click the field or the list icon to the right of the field, then select the appropriate single option from the menu that appears.

      Standby mode occurs when EMS personnel and resources are on alert to provide services above regular personnel levels, which are currently dedicated to an incident and not expected to be available to respond to additional incidents unrelated to the current incident.

5. Specify response mode information.

   1. For Response Mode to Scene, choose Emergent, Emergent Downgraded to Non-Emergent, Non-Emergent, or click Other and select the appropriate single option from the menu that appears.

      The response mode indicates whether the response was emergent or non-emergent. An emergent response is an immediate response.

      The Response Mode Lights & Sirens Use, Response Mode Intersection Navigation, Response Mode Scheduled, and Response Mode Speed fields activate.

   2. For Response Mode Lights & Sirens Use, choose Lights & Sirens, No Lights or Sirens, Lights and No Sirens, or click Other and select the appropriate single option from the menu that appears.

      The lights and sirens mode indicates the public-alert system used by the unit while traveling to the incident scene. The use of emergency vehicle lights and sirens is a request to the public from the unit driver to proceed through a red light or stop sign without stopping, in response to an incident.

      Note: it is the obligation of the unit driver to ensure that crossing or approaching traffic at an intersection fully yields to the request before the unit proceeds.

      Note: This field appears only if it was enabled in the ESO Admin module by an ESO Suite user with the necessary permissions to configure the EHR module.

      Information on enabling EHR fields is available in the Admin module online help, in Configure tabs.

   3. For Response Mode Intersection Navigation, choose either With Normal Light Pattern, With Against Normal Light Pattern, or With Light Change Tech.

      The intersection navigation mode indicates how the unit driver proceeded through intersections, and if automated light-changing technology was involved.

      Note: This field appears only if it was enabled in the ESO Admin module by an ESO Suite user with the necessary permissions to configure the EHR module.

      Information on enabling EHR fields is available in the Admin module online help, in Configure tabs.

   4. For Response Mode Scheduled, choose No or Yes to indicate whether this response was scheduled or unscheduled.

   Note: This field appears only if it was enabled in the ESO Admin module by an ESO Suite user with the necessary permissions to configure the EHR module.

   Information on enabling EHR fields is available in the Admin module online help, in Configure tabs.

   5. For Response Mode Speed, choose either Normal Traffic or Enhanced per Policy, to indicate whether the unit driver obeyed normal speed limits and traffic controls, or whether the unit driver exceeded these limits (within parameters outlined by the agency).

      Note: This field appears only if it was enabled in the ESO Admin module by an ESO Suite user with the necessary permissions to configure the EHR module.

      Information on enabling EHR fields is available in the Admin module online help, in Configure tabs.

6. Identify the agency resources that responded to the incident.

   • For each of the fields below, click the field or the list icon to the right of the field, then select the appropriate single option from the menu that appears.

     Field	Information needed
     Station	The number that identifies a particular station or organization location where the responding unit or vehicle is housed. This identification provides a means of tracking incident data that have been collected and reported by individual stations. Specific feedback on incident experience can then be prepared and sent to individual stations. You can also use the station number when analyzing different levels of activity within an agency.
     Shift	The shift or crew name label from agency, that helps identify the personnel that responded to the incident. Recording the shift that responded to an incident assists agencies in determining workload balances and staffing requirements. Note: This applies only to agencies with organized work force arrangements.
     Unit	The EMS Emergency Medical Services unit number used to dispatch and communicate with the unit responding to the incident. This may be the same as the EMS unit/vehicle number in many agencies.
     Unit Capability	The transportation and equipment capabilities of the EMS unit which responded to this specific EMS incident. Note: This field appears in the EHR module only if your ESO Suite administrator enabled it in the Admin module, under EHR > Incidents Tab > Configurable fields. Information on enabling EHR fields is available in the Admin module online help, in Configure tabs.
     Unit's Level Of Care	The level of care (such as BLS Basic Life Support or ALS Advanced Life Support) the EMS unit and its personnel are able to provide, based on the unit's treatment capabilities, to this specific incident. Example: While a unit may be staffed with EMT-Intermediate or EMT-Paramedic personnel, if the unit is licensed or stocked at only a BLS level, the unit's level of care is BLS-Basic. Note: This field appears only if it was enabled in the ESO Admin module by an ESO Suite user with the necessary permissions to configure the EHR module. Information on enabling EHR fields is available in the Admin module online help, in Configure tabs.
     Vehicle	The unique physical vehicle number of the responding unit.

7. Provide additional EMD information.

   Note: Each of these fields appears in the EHR module only if your ESO Suite administrator enabled it in the Admin module, under EHR > Incidents Tab > Configurable fields.

   Information on enabling EHR fields is available in the Admin module online help, in Configure tabs.

   1. For EMD Complaint, choose the complaint dispatch reported to the responding unit.

      An EMD Emergency Medical Dispatcher is a specially trained call-taker, tasked with identifying the complaint, triaging the patient’s severity, and providing pre-arrival instructions to callers. The EMD's responsibility is to identify the chief complaint, age, level of consciousness and breathing status of the patient.

   2. For EMD Performed, choose Yes, w/ Instructions, Yes w/o Instructions, Yes, Unknown, or No, to indicate whether EMD Emergency Medical Dispatcher was performed for the incident.

   3. In EMD Card Number, type the EMD Emergency Medical Dispatcher card number reported by dispatch, consisting of the card number, dispatch level, and dispatch mode.

   4. For each of the fields below, click the field or the list icon to the right of the field, then select the appropriate single option from the menu that appears.

      Field	Information needed
      Dispatch Priority	The actual, apparent, or potential acuity of the patient's condition, as determined through information obtained during the EMD Emergency Medical Dispatcher process.
      Responding From	The zone the unit traveled from to reach the incident scene. Understand the link between the EHR and Admin modules, when selecting a responding-from zone. The options that appear in the dialog box are defined by the Admin module, by your ESO Suite administrator, under General > Zones. Example: In the EHR module, in the Edit Unit Reports dialog box, when you click Responding From, you may need options such as Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, and so forth. Your ESO Suite administrator must add corresponding ADL agency-defined list items in the Admin module, under General > Zones, for these items to appear as menu choices in the EHR module.     If no options appear, or if the menu does not have an option that meets your needs, contact your ESO Suite administrator and ask them to add the necessary menu choices. You will need to work closely with your administrator to create and maintain these lists, as your department's needs evolve over time. Information on adding zones to this menu is available in Configure zones.

8. For Requested By, choose Patient, Family, Bystander, or click Other and select the appropriate single option from the menu that appears.

   This field indicates who requested EMS Emergency Medical Services assistance for the incident.

9. Specify first responder and first EMS units on the scene.

   Note: Each of these fields appears in the EHR module only if your ESO Suite administrator enabled it in the Admin module, under EHR > Incidents Tab > Configurable fields.

   Information on enabling EHR fields is available in the Admin module online help, in Configure tabs.

   1. For Estimated Initial Responder On Scene, choose <5 min, >15 min, 5-15 min, or click Other and select the appropriate single option from the menu that appears.

   2. For First EMS Unit on Scene, choose Yes or No, to indicate whether or not the unit you specified was first to arrive at the incident.