PCR Problems

By EMS Coordinator Mike McEvoy, Saratoga County
NYSAFC Director, EMS

The Bureau of Health Care Research and Information Services (who no doubt has some sexy abbreviated name) has been matching patient care reports (PCRs) from the new electronic PCR bridge to the SPARCS (Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System) hospital data system. It’s not going well; the majority of PCRs cannot be matched. The primary reasons are missing Social Security numbers (SSN) and incorrect hospital destination codes on PCRs. Sadly, this matching would give us hospital diagnosis information on patients transported, which could be a really valuable feedback loop for EMS. To help match a PCR, SPARCS needs at minimum the last four digits of the SSN (services that bill probably want the whole SSN). Click here for hospital destination codes listed by county. Great idea for an agency QI project!