Time management

Preprinted problem lists, with their myriad columns for patient data such as cholesterol level and date of most recent mammogram, promise better organization of information, but physicians would be better off throwing these directly in the garbage. A rule of thumb is "The more complicated the f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Canadian Medical Association journal (CMAJ) Vol. 171; no. 4; pp. 312 - 313
Main Authors:	Jones, Ralph M, Rosenberg, Jeannie
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Ottawa CMA Impact Inc 17-08-2004 CMA Impact, Inc Canadian Medical Association
Subjects:	Crosby, JW Family physicians Letters Management Medical offices Time management
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Preprinted problem lists, with their myriad columns for patient data such as cholesterol level and date of most recent mammogram, promise better organization of information, but physicians would be better off throwing these directly in the garbage. A rule of thumb is "The more complicated the form, the less likely you are to bother filling it out." Instead, take a blank sheet of paper and write the patient's name at the top. Down the left-hand side list the patient's medical problems, and across from each problem, on the right-hand side of the page, list the medications prescribed. At the bottom of the page, list any medication allergies. Make this page the first page of the patient's chart, facing inward to save flipping back and forth.
ISSN:	0820-3946 1488-2329
DOI:	10.1503/cmaj.1040534