CDM benefits include which of the following for post-incident reporting?

• A. Slows down the decision process
• B. Decreases accountability
• C. Helps to explain your actions after the fact (Report writing and court)
• D. Eliminates need for documentation

Answer: (C)

Clear, careful documentation of decisions and actions during an incident is essential for post-incident reporting. CDM reinforces this by providing a structured record you can reference in written reports and in court, showing what was done, when, and why. This creates a transparent narrative of the rationale behind actions, the patient’s status as it changed, and how the response followed protocols, which supports legal defensibility and quality review. It also strengthens accountability by making the decision trail traceable and reduces ambiguity when reconstructing events later. The idea that it slows decision-making or that it eliminates documentation isn’t accurate, and CDM is about documenting what happened, not skipping it.