I have 2 suggestions to add to John Crosby's time-management tips for physicians.1
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. Any patient who is receiving more than one medication should have a problem list like this.
My second suggestion relates to eliciting wheezing in patients with asthma. Some patients find it difficult to understand the physician's instructions to blow out forcefully, and for small children this may be impossible. Instead, reach for a child's pinwheel. Blow on the pinwheel to make it spin and then hand it to the patient, saying “Wait while I put my stethescope back on your chest — okay, now blow!” This inexpensive equipment can save a lot of explanation.
Jeannie Rosenberg Rural GP Huntingdon, Que.
Reference
- 1.↵