Purpose Statement
The Protocols section of EMS Setup allows administrators to configure the protocols, treatments, medications, and state certification levels used within the ePCR.
These settings help ensure that providers have access to the appropriate protocols and treatment options while documenting patient care. Administrators can also configure procedure authorization levels, medication defaults, treatment limits, and other details to support agency-specific clinical workflows.
Background Information
The Protocols section works closely with Field Customization to determine how protocols, procedures, and medications appear and behave within the ePCR.
Administrators can use this area to configure:
- Protocols available for selection
- Treatment and procedure certification levels
- Treatment authorization levels
- Procedure-specific settings and limits
- Medication administration settings
- Medication routes and defaults
- Medication dose ranges
- State certification levels
If an agency operates in multiple states, protocol settings may need to be configured separately for each state based on applicable requirements.
Important: The Protocols section does not control every aspect of the lists displayed to providers. The order, display descriptions, active/inactive values, and other list configurations are managed through Field Customization.
Required Permissions
Users should have administrative access to EMS Setup and the ability to configure ePCR settings.
Because protocol, procedure, and medication configuration also relies on Field Customization, administrators responsible for this setup should have access to that area as well.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Navigate to Protocols
- Open the Module Stack.
- Select Incident Documentation.
- Select EMS Setup.
- Open Protocols.
If your agency operates in more than one state, select the appropriate state from the available dropdown and configure the settings required for that state.
2. Configure the Protocol List
The first section displays the protocols currently available for use in the ePCR.
Protocols can be toggled on or off from the Protocols setup page as needed.
The appearance of the protocol list—including its order, display descriptions, active values, and button-pack configuration—is managed through Field Customization.
To modify how the protocol list appears:
- Navigate to Field Customization.
- Locate the Protocol field under Treatments > Protocols.
- Edit the field.
- Review the available values.
- Activate or inactivate values as appropriate.
- Adjust their order or display descriptions as needed.
For example, when a button pack is configured, commonly used protocols can appear as the initial selections while additional protocols are available through More.
3. Configure Treatments and Procedures
Open the treatment/procedure list to review the procedures available within the ePCR.
4. Set Procedure Certification Levels
Administrators can specify which certification levels are permitted to perform individual procedures.
Certification levels can also be applied in bulk.
For example, an administrator could:
- Apply Paramedic to all applicable procedures.
- Review the individual procedures.
- Add EMT to procedures that may also be performed at the EMT level.
This allows the agency to configure procedure availability based on its certification requirements.
5. Set Procedure Authorization Levels
Authorization levels can also be configured for treatments and procedures.
For example, if a procedure is always performed under a protocol or standing order, that authorization level can be configured and applied as appropriate.
6. Configure Individual Procedure Settings
Each procedure can have additional settings.
Select the procedure's Settings option to review and configure the available defaults and limits.
Depending on the procedure, options may include:
- Size options
- Maximum number of attempts
- Maximum number of treatment events
- Event intervals
- Airway limits
- IV/IO options
- IO types
- Fluid volumes
- Fluid types
- EKG energy minimums and maximums
These settings allow the system to provide warnings when a provider exceeds configured limits, such as attempting a procedure too many times or documenting more treatment events than expected.
Available settings vary depending on the procedure.
7. Configure Medications
Medication configuration follows a similar process.
The medication names and available medication list should first be configured through Field Customization.
After the list is established, use the Protocols section to configure the clinical settings for each medication.
Depending on the medication, settings may include:
- Maximum number of administrations
- Minimum interval between administrations
- Available routes
- Default route
- Minimum dose
- Maximum dose
- Dose units
- Authorization level
For example, an agency could configure aspirin so that:
- It may only be administered once.
- The configured interval between administrations is four hours.
- Oral is the available and default route.
- The dose range is 81–324 mg.
- Milligrams are used as the dose unit.
When a provider selects the configured medication in the ePCR, the configured defaults are presented to help streamline documentation.
8. Save Procedure and Medication Settings
Always save changes after configuring procedures or medications.
Some individual procedure and medication configuration windows contain their own Save button.
After saving the individual settings, scroll to the bottom of the Protocols page and select Save again to ensure the overall configuration is retained.
Important: Changes may not take effect if the appropriate Save buttons are not selected.
9. Configure State Certification Levels
Review the State Certification Levels section and select the certification levels used by your agency.
These levels will then be available within applicable pick lists and can be used when configuring procedure and treatment requirements.
For agencies operating in multiple states, review the configuration for each applicable state.
Best Practices
- Configure Field Customization before completing detailed protocol settings.
- Verify that only currently used protocols, medications, and procedures are active.
- Organize frequently used selections so they are easy for field providers to locate.
- Review certification and authorization levels carefully before deployment.
- Configure procedure limits to support agency treatment guidelines.
- Configure medication routes, dose ranges, and defaults to reduce unnecessary data entry.
- Review settings separately for each state when the agency operates across state lines.
- Always save individual settings and then save the overall Protocols page.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why is a protocol, procedure, or medication missing from the ePCR?
Review the appropriate field in Field Customization. The value may be inactive or may not be included in the configured list.
How do I change the order of protocols or procedures?
List order is managed through Field Customization, not directly from the Protocols setup page.
Can I rename how a procedure or medication appears to providers?
Yes. Display descriptions can be configured through Field Customization.
Why are only a few protocol options immediately visible?
A button pack may be configured for the field. The primary selections appear first, while additional options can be accessed through More.
Can different certification levels be assigned to different procedures?
Yes. Certification levels can be configured for individual procedures. Administrators can also bulk-apply a certification level and then adjust individual procedures as necessary.
Why didn't my changes take effect?
Verify that you selected Save within any individual procedure or medication settings and then selected Save at the bottom of the overall Protocols page.
Do I need to configure protocols separately for each state?
If multiple states are available for your agency, review and configure the settings for each state according to the agency's requirements.