Self-Reported Completeness of Neurological Documentation in Prehospital Emergency Care: Associations With Neurological Training and Professional Experience

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Background:Neurological assessment is a critical component of prehospital emergency care, particularly in time-sensitive conditions including stroke and traumatic brain injury.Neurological documentation practices in this setting remain insufficiently characterized.This study aimed to evaluate self-reported completeness of neurological documentation among paramedics, then examine its associations with neurological training and professional experience. Material/Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2025 and March 2026 among 348 paramedics working in emergency medical services in southeastern Poland.Data were collected using a structured electronic questionnaire.Self-reported documentation completeness was assessed using a composite score based on the reported frequency of documenting 7 neurological examination elements rated on a 5-point Likert scale (range: 7-35). Results:Overall self-reported documentation completeness was moderate (mean score: 24.57).Respondents frequently reported documenting basic neurological parameters (eg, level of consciousness: 81.0%); more detailed components were reported less consistently.Only 9.2% of respondents reported consistently documenting temporal neurological changes.The greatest self-reported deficiencies involved documentation of temporal neurological changes and detailed focal neurological findings.Participation in neurological training was associated with higher completeness scores (26.20 vs 23.24; P < 0.001).Self-reported documentation completeness was positively correlated with professional experience ( = 0.359; P < 0.001). Conclusions:Self-reported neurological documentation completeness among paramedics was moderate and selective; selfreported rates were lowest for dynamic and detailed focal neurological components.Participation in neurological training and greater professional experience were associated with higher self-reported documentation completeness scores.These findings suggest that standardized documentation protocols and targeted educational interventions contribute to more consistent neurological documentation practices in prehospital settings.

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