On Thu 16 Jul, Jonathan Worters wrote:
> The paperless practice has been triumphed, but is it so good?  Are 
> there 'guidelines' on how to conduct the consultation - do you type 
> in history as you proceed or wait until completion? 
> 
> I am having difficulty in coping with the transformation from pen and 
> paper, to total keyboard transactions, and find myself duplicating 
> my entries.  In addition I find that I remember my written 
> consultations, but not the ones entered into the computer, so time is 
> wasted both in entering data and also in retrieving it.
> 
> Does anybody have any useful (sensible) hints or tips?
> 
> Jon Worters
> 
> 
We have been 'paperless' for 7 years now and the level of detail in the
notes is a tremendous resource. I would not go back to written records,
although of course we have to keep them as an anachronisitc vestige of the
past for when patients move on. The letters are still filed in A4 notes folders
but we gave up on lab reports ages ago, after 3 months the hard copy is 
ditched. We are a 13 doctor, 4 nurse, (3 nurse practitioner), 4 site practice
using meditel system 5. All appointments on computer, use of email internally,
letters scanned into the patient records etc.

The patients seem happy with the computer, at least they can read what we are
writing on screen, touch typing comes with practice and Read codes for common 
conditions create an easy entry (although their illogicality still bugs me much
of the time.) I find it no more intrusive on the consultation to type than I did
to write. At least now I have a full a logical record which is consistently
legible to refer to.


-- 
Allan Harris, GP, Haxby, York YO3 3PH
tel 01904-768666
work 01904-760125, fax 750168



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