Incident Summary Feature

Incident Summary Feature

Purpose Statement

The Incident Summary Feature provides a centralized, at-a-glance view of critical information within an ePCR (electronic Patient Care Report). This feature allows EMS personnel to quickly review, verify, and navigate to key data points during patient care documentation, improving efficiency and reducing the time spent searching through multiple screens. By consolidating essential information into a single modal view, users can ensure documentation accuracy and completeness before finalizing their ePCR.

Background Information

The Incident Summary Feature was designed to address the common challenge of navigating complex ePCR forms during active patient care situations. When documenting incidents, EMS providers often need to review multiple data points—such as vital signs, timestamps, patient demographics, and interventions—without losing their place in the documentation workflow.
Common Use Cases:
  • Quick verification of documented vital signs during patient handoff
  • Review of incident timeline and response times for accuracy
  • Navigation to incomplete or missing required fields
  • Supervisor review of submitted ePCRs for quality assurance
  • Real-time documentation checks during multi-patient incidents
Prerequisites:
  • Active ePCR must be open in the system
  • User must have appropriate permissions to view and edit ePCR data
  • Incident must have at least basic information entered to populate the summary

Required Permissions

To access and utilize the Incident Summary Feature, users must have the following permissions within the ePCR bucket:
Essential Permissions:
  • My EMS Care Reports - Read - Required to view the Incident Summary within your own ePCRs
  • Manage Patient Information - Allow - Required to access protected health information displayed in the summary
For Editing Capabilities:
  • My EMS Care Reports - Update - Required to edit date/time fields and navigate to editable sections
  • Update incident status for completed/authorized reports - Allow - May be required if editing timestamps on finalized reports (depending on your organization's workflow)
For Supervisory/QA Functions:
  • View Other's EMS Care Reports - Allow - Required if reviewing Incident Summaries for reports created by other users
  • List All QA/QI Ems Incidents - Allow - Useful for quality assurance reviewers using the feature during report reviews
Note: The Incident Summary Feature inherits permissions from the parent ePCR. If you can view or edit an ePCR, you can access its Incident Summary. Contact your system administrator if you cannot access this feature within ePCRs you should have access to.

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​Step-by-Step Guide

1. Accessing the Incident Summary
  1. Open an ePCR - Navigate to any active or in-progress electronic Patient Care Report
  2. Locate the Incident Summary icon - Find the icon in the upper right corner of the toolbar, positioned next to the comment icon
  3. Click the Incident Summary icon - The Call Summary modal will appear on your screen


From within an ePCR the Incident Summary Feature can be located in the upper right corner of the toolbar next to the comment icon.



2. Understanding the Two View Options
  1. Select your preferred view - The Call Summary modal offers two viewing options:
    • List View - Displays information in a compact, organized list format
    • Details View - Shows pertinent information with expanded field details


When selected a Call Summary modal will appear with two views, List or Details.



3. Editing Date and Time Fields
  1. Access the time editor - In either view, click the Edit Times button at the top of the modal


In either view you are able to adjust Date and Time fields by selecting on the Edit Times button.



4. Editing Date and Time Fields
  1. Select the field to edit - Click directly on the Date and Time field you wish to modify
  2. Adjust the timestamp - Use the date/time picker to update the information according to the actual incident timeline
  3. Save your changes - Click the Save button to apply your edits


When editing select in the Date and Time field you wish to edit and adjust according. Remember when done editing select Save.



5. Navigating from List View
  1. Review the list of fields - The List View displays all major ePCR sections in an organized format
  2. Navigate to any field - Click the arrow icon to the right of any field name to jump directly to that section in the ePCR


From the List View you are able to navigate to any field by selecting the arrow icon to the right of the field.

  1. Example navigation - Click on Vital Signs to view or edit patient vital sign data

Click on Vital Signs



6. Navigating from Details View
  1. Review detailed information - The Details View shows expanded information within each field, providing more context at a glance
  2. Navigate to any field - Click the arrow icon to the right of any field to jump directly to that section in the ePCR for editing or detailed review


From the Details View you are able to see pertinent information within the field along with navigating to any field by selecting on the arrow icon to the right of the field.

  1. Continue documentation - After reviewing or editing, close the modal or continue navigating to other fields as needed

After selecting the icon

Best Practices

Workflow Integration:
  • Review the Incident Summary before clearing an ePCR to ensure all critical fields are complete
  • Use the feature during patient handoff to quickly verify key information with receiving facility staff
  • Check timestamps immediately after incident completion while events are fresh in your memory
Documentation Efficiency:
  • Bookmark frequently reviewed fields (like Vital Signs or Medications) by navigating directly from the summary
  • Use the Details View when conducting quality assurance reviews
  • Switch to List View for quick scans during active documentation
Data Accuracy:
  • Always verify edited timestamps match your incident timeline and dispatch records
  • Cross-reference vital signs shown in the summary with your physical assessment
  • Use the navigation feature to correct incomplete fields identified in the summary
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
  • Don't rely solely on the summary view for complete documentation—it's designed for overview and navigation, not comprehensive data entry
  • Avoid editing times without verifying against dispatch logs or CAD system timestamps
  • Don't close the modal without saving when you've made time edits

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Some fields are showing as blank in the Incident Summary. Is this a problem?
A: Not necessarily. The Incident Summary only displays information that has been entered into the ePCR. Blank fields indicate sections that haven't been completed yet. Use the navigation feature to jump to those fields and complete your documentation.
Q: Can I view the Incident Summary for reports created by other users?
A: Yes, if you have the View Other's EMS Care Reports - Allow permission. This is commonly granted to supervisors, QA/QI reviewers, and administrative staff who need to review documentation created by field personnel.
Q: Can I print or export the Incident Summary view?
A: The Incident Summary is designed as an in-application navigation and review tool. For printed reports, use the standard ePCR print/export functions (requires Print EMS Care Reports - Allow or Export EMS Care Report - Allow permissions) which will include all documentation in the proper format.
Q: Can I customize which fields appear in the Incident Summary?
A: Field display in the Incident Summary is standardized at the system level to ensure consistency across your organization. Contact your system administrator if your agency requires specific customizations for compliance or operational needs.


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