Report Writing and Record-Keeping

Student Performance Objective

Given information from lecture, discussion, and reading materials, explain the purpose of written reports
and the guidelines for developing reports, and outline the components of a record system.

Overview
 Report Writing
 Record-System Components

Report Writing
Importance Reports or Records
1. Reports keep administration informed of accomplishments, problems, and daily activities.
2. Reports provide data on which administration can base decisions.
3. Reports become part of larger reports used for planning decisions or Justify budget requests, code
enforcement, resource allocation.
4. Most reports are public records and may be read by people outside the organization.
5. Information in reports is logical and easily understood.
6. Compilation of either statistical data or research.
7. Legal documentation (EMS/Fire).
8. Record Keeping Regulations.
9. Prepare court cases with relevant facts.
10. Coordinate that particular agency’s activities.
11. Evaluate either individual or department performance.

Request for a report can come from: Employer, client, solicitor, Superior, Supervisor, etc. Clarify
your role in writing the report. Do you have the authority to write a report?

Elements of a Good Report

Content: Provides as much information as needed to give the reader a clear picture of what happened.
Clear picture of what happened, includes relevant facts as well as pertinent negatives.
Accurate: Specific details related to call and contain specific details relevant to the incident.
Objective: Based upon YOUR findings and details specific facts that in general are not disputed. Report
should entirely comprise of findings from physical examination of the problem.
Factual: No assumptions or conclusions.
Complete: Are all of the boxes checked?
Timely: Same day completion

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Report writing criteria
Organization

 Heading
- Contains basic information
- Includes date, name of recipient, name of sender, and subject
 Introduction
 Organization
 Body
- Reason for the report
- Statistics
- Research, program, or project Results
- Problems that were uncovered
 Conclusion/summary

Report development
 Answers who, what, when, where, and why
 Contained in body of text

Writing style
 Should be concise and simple
 Should use tables or graphs to highlight complicated information

Executive summary
 Characteristics
- Brief review of key points in a report
- Easy to read and focused
 Benefits
- Ensures essential information is read
- Is an attention-getter
- Provides senior management with main points

Executive summary
 Contents
- Statement of the problem
- Recommended solutions
- Benefits resulting from following recommendations
- Recommended action in the report

Report Writing Steps

Five Steps in Writing Reports
1. Gather facts: observe, investigate, and interview.
2. Record facts immediately, take notes!
3. Organize the facts.

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 4. Write the report.
5. Evaluate the report: edit/proofread, revise if necessary.

Effective Reports
Completed Promptly
- Record is made “in the course of business”, not long after the event
- Not in “anticipation of litigation”
- Prompt recollection essential as it becomes part of a permanent record

Completed Thoroughly
- Adequate coverage of assessment, treatment and relative facts when dealing with patient care.
- Should paint a clear, complete picture of what transpired, events leading to and actions after an
incident.
- Should enable another to have a good idea of what happened even though they were not there.

Completed Objectively
- Observations rather than assumptions or conclusions
- Avoid the use of emotionally and value loaded words or phrases
- Based upon your physical findings
- Legally relevant, in compliance with established standards of care

Completed Accurately
- Descriptions should be as precise as possible
- Avoid using non-standard abbreviations or jargon not commonly understood
- If you are not sure how to write it – write it in English
- And YES, spelling does count.

Maintain confidentiality
- Each agency has a policy on the release of information
- Whenever possible, consent should be obtained prior to the release of information
- Copy becomes part of the permanent record
- Statues of limitations is 3 years unless capital offense

A Complete Report should be Timely, Concise, Makes every word count, Concrete fact with descriptive
detail, Clarity, Uses accepted abbreviations and Short sentences or phrases.

A Well Written Report is: concise, clear and well organized, mechanically correct, written in standard
English, legible, and completed on time and written in ink.

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Record - System Components
Record categories

1. Training
 Types
- Daily training delivered to individuals or units by a designated instructor
- Company training delivered by a company officer
- Organizational training delivered to all members
- Self-study by an individual
- Individual training provided by an organization
- Special training provided by an outside source
- Degrees, certificates, or levels of training attained by organization members
 Privacy requirements
- The Family Education and Privacy Act prohibits release of student testing and
evaluation information
- Scores and personal data are privileged information
 Software programs
 Legal requirements
 Benefits
- Documents for review by appropriate parties
- Training areas are identified
- Documentation of required training completion
- Information for planning and scheduling future training
- Evidence the federal and state training mandates are met
- Layer of legal protection against lawsuits
 Record contents
- Course name
- Dates and hours of each training session
- Names of instructors for each training session
- Other information deemed appropriate by the organization
- Student attendance rosters
- Topics taught at each session
- Lesson plans, workbooks and texts, tests, videotapes, and other course materials
- Evaluation scores of students
- Course evaluations
 Audits
- NFPA recommends annual audit of record-keeping system
- Audit should identify deficiencies and determine how to correct them
 Budget
- Personnel costs
- Materials costs
- Instructor certification and training costs
- Prorated cost of the training facility

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  Inventory
 Maintenance
- Preventive
- Corrective
 Personnel
- Job performance records
- Attendance records

Record-Keeping System Development

1. Requirement definitions
 Identify research requirements
- Define the project
- Establish objectives
- List outcomes
- Select alternatives
- Evaluate choices
- Select the best solution
 System plan
- PERT chart
- Gantt chart
 System planning steps
- Establish final project objectives
- Establish strategy required to meet objectives
- Divide project into logical subunits
- Establish performance standards for each subunit
- Develop a timeline for each subunit
- Create a project schedule
- Determine the cost of each subunit and the entire project
- Determine the resources necessary
- Assign positions, duties, responsibilities, access, and authority to personnel
- Determine required training to implement
- Write necessary specifications
- Determine and create necessary policies and procedures
- Establish processes for monitoring and revising project
 System implementation
- Enter existing documents into system
- Conduct training on system
 Project completion
- Review process for development
- Make recommendations to improve process
 Revision
- Inaccuracies
- Information type change
- Additional information needed
 Data interpretation

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 - Data are raw material from which information is derived
- Analysis looks at the relationship between key elements of the data and similar
information gathered from other reports
- Resulting information is used to justify changes reports
 Legal requirements
- State and federal laws generally direct record maintenance
- Record keeping requirements include:
 Types of records maintained
 Length of retention
 Privacy concerns
 Public access to some records