01
Report
What dispatch needs from a 911 call - in order.
Lesson 7: Communication and documentation
The two-minute notes that change what an arriving paramedic can do.
Lesson 07 · 12 min
Under stress, the page you wrote tells a story that your memory won't.
Communication and documentation
The Real-Life First-Aid Kit · Lesson 07
Press → to begin
Lesson 07 · Communication
Learning Objectives
00 · 00
By the end of this lesson
Three skills to turn chaos into a page.
02
Document
A SAMPLE history card for every household member.
03
Track
SOAP notes every 15 minutes during prolonged care.
Lesson 07 · Communication
Key Concept
00 · 00
Acronym · paramedic intake
SAMPLE history
Signs · Allergies · Medications · Past Hx · Last intake · Events
Definition
The six-item history paramedics collect on arrival. Pre-writing it onto a wallet card and a fridge card lets you hand over a complete answer in seconds.
In the room
Your spouse collapses. The paramedic asks 'what does she take?' - you hand them the card. Brand names, doses, last filled. That answer would have taken five minutes to find on your phone.
- Wallet + fridge · 2 minutes to create
Lesson 07 · Communication
Procedure
00 · 00
Procedure · the 911 call · 6 items
What dispatch needs, in order
01
of 04
Where
Address - confirm twice
Your full address. Then confirm it. Half of the 911 errors that delay response are wrong addresses given under stress.
Checkpoint · Confirmed
02
of 04
How
Phone number you're on
Give the number you're calling from in case the call drops.
Checkpoint · Call-back
03
of 04
What
Nature of emergency · 5 words
"Unconscious adult." "Severe bleeding." "Chest pain." Five words, plain language.
Checkpoint · Plain language
04
of 04
Who
Patient age, sex, history
Whatever you know. "Female, 56, history of cardiac." If you don't know, say so.
Checkpoint · What you know
Lesson 07 · Communication
Reflect
00 · 00
Reflect · 5 minutes
Pre-assign roles tonight
In your household - who calls 911, who unlocks the door, who meets the ambulance?
Prompt 01
Who is on the line with dispatch?
Prompt 02
Who unlocks the front door and turns on the porch light?
Prompt 03
Who meets the ambulance with a flashlight, and who stays with the patient?
Lesson 07 · Communication
Summary
00 · 00
Recap · 3 takeaways
Mapped to objectives 01–03
Communication recap
01
Six items for dispatch, in order: where, how, what, who, state, stay-on-line.
Maps to · Objective 01
02
SAMPLE cards in every wallet and on the fridge. Pre-written under no pressure.
Maps to · Objective 02
03
Pre-assigned household roles. Decide tonight, not during the emergency.
Maps to · Objective 03
Transcript
Lesson seven: communication and documentation. The two minutes you spend writing things down change what an arriving paramedic can do for your patient. This lesson is about turning chaos into a single legible page.
Transcript
Three skills. Call 911 with the six things dispatch needs. Maintain a SAMPLE card for each family member. And take SOAP notes during prolonged care so the paramedics can see the trend over the last hour.
Transcript
SAMPLE is the acronym paramedics ask in the first thirty seconds. Pre-write it for each member of your household so that when seconds matter you're handing a card rather than trying to remember your spouse's allergy list.
Transcript
When you call 911, dispatchers need six things - in a specific order. They want them in this order because each answer unlocks the next decision.
Transcript
A coordination question before the next lesson. If a family member collapsed in your home tonight, who would do what? Pre-assigning roles saves thirty seconds - and thirty seconds matters.
Transcript
Three takeaways. Six items make a clean 911 call. SAMPLE cards remove the variable of memory under stress. And pre-assigned roles in your household save thirty critical seconds.