PROBLEM-ORIENTED MEDICAL RECORD AS A CHALLENGE FOR NARRATOLOGICAL ANALYSIS.

The paper examines the narrative arrangement of the problem-oriented medical record (POMR) as an effective method of registering and assessing clinical data. The aim of the research is to examine the types of narrators and focalization, as well as the hierarchy and interaction of narrative levels in the analyzed discourse. The research has demonstrated the presence of several types of narrators within the analyzed discourse: (1) the omniscient hetero-extradiegetic narrator with transient internal focalization (the third-person narration, represented by the physician) and (2) homo-intradiegetic narration (patient's first-person narration) in the "Subjective Observation" section; (3) the "estranged" heterodiegetic narrator with external focalization (the "Objective Observation" part); (4) the "uncertain" type of narrator (the "Assessment" part); (5) and the imperative mode of narration (the "Plan" section). Each section of POMR is characterized by a specific type of narration, and each of them aims to "intertwine" the events, scattered in time and space, into one coherent narrative to ensure the effective communication between physicians and successful treatment of patients. It is highly important for future physicians to develop narrative competence and master the basic mechanisms of producing an effective POMR, in order to be able to accurately document the encounters with patients, elicit the relevant details from case histories, and select the appropriate strategy of treatment. Therefore, in the process of training future doctors, the analysis of the basic mechanisms of writing POMRs should be an integral part of the curricula in English for Specific Purposes at universities.

[The expert characteristic of the forensic medical documentation for the purpose of investigations of the injuries to the maxillofacial region]. / Ékspertnaia kharakteristika sudebno-meditsinskoi dokumentatsii pri issledovanii povrezhdenii cheliustno-litsevoi oblasti.

The injuries to the maxillofacial region (MFR) are among the most frequently occurring problems encountered if the forensic medical practice. The objective of the present study was the analysis of the quality of the medical record documentation of the victims of the injuries to the maxillofacial region for obtaining the information necessary for forensic medical experts to make the well-founded conclusions. We undertook the in-depth analysis of random samples from the materials stored in the archive of living subjects at the Saint-Petersburg Bureau of forensic medical expertise for the period from 2010 to 2014. The results of a total of 438 forensic medical examinations were available for the analysis. The study has demonstrated the generally low forensic medical value of the expert conclusions that frequently fail to conform to the requirements of the departmental instructions on the description of MFR injuries. In all the cases, neurologists and radiologists were counselled. The results of analysis of the drawbacks of forensic medical examinations give evidence that they originate first and foremost from subjective circumstances which opens up the promising prospects for the improvement of expertise quality based on the enhancement of the professional responsibility of the forensic medical experts.

Evaluation of the delirium early monitoring system (DEMS).

BACKGROUND: Despite awareness of the negative health and financial outcomes of delirium, systems to routinely assess and manage the condition are absent in clinical practice. We report the development and pilot evaluation of a Delirium Early Monitoring System (DEMS), designed to be completed by non-medical staff to influence clinical processes within inpatient settings. Two versions of the DEMS are described based on a modified Confusion Assessment Method (DEMS-CAM) and Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DEMS-DOSS). METHODS: Both versions of DEMS were piloted on a 20-bedded Psychogeriatric ward over 6 weeks. Training was administered to ward staff on the use of each version of the DEMS and data were collected via electronic medical records and completed assessment sheets. The primary outcome was patterns of DEMS use and the secondary outcome was the initiation of delirium management protocols. Data regarding the use of the DEMS DOSS and DEMS CAMS were analyzed using χ 2 tests. RESULTS: Completion rates for the DEMS CAM and DEMS DOSS were 79% and 68%, respectively. Non-medical staff were significantly more likely to use the DEMS-CAM as part of daily practice as opposed to the DEMS-DOSS (p<0.001). However, there was no difference between the use of the DEMS-CAM and DEMS-DOSS in triggering related actions such as documentation of assessment scores in patients' medical records and implementation of delirium management protocols. CONCLUSIONS: This real world evaluation revealed that non-medical staff were able to incorporate delirium monitoring into their practice, on the majority of occasions, as part of their daily working routine. Further research is necessary to determine if the routine use of the DEMS can lead to improved understandings and practice of non-medical staff regarding delirium detection.

Determinants of a successful problem list to support the implementation of the problem-oriented medical record according to recent literature.

BACKGROUND: A problem-oriented approach is one of the possibilities to organize a medical record. The problem-oriented medical record (POMR) - a structured organization of patient information per presented medical problem- was introduced at the end of the sixties by Dr. Lawrence Weed to aid dealing with the multiplicity of patient problems. The problem list as a precondition is the centerpiece of the problem-oriented medical record (POMR) also called problem-oriented record (POR). Prior to the digital era, paper records presented a flat list of medical problems to the healthcare professional without the features that are possible with current technology. In modern EHRs a POMR based on a structured problem list can be used for clinical decision support, registries, order management, population health, and potentially other innovative functionality in the future, thereby providing a new incentive to the implementation and use of the POMR. METHODS: On both 12 May 2014 and 1 June 2015 a systematic literature search was conducted. From the retrieved articles statements regarding the POMR and related to successful or non-successful implementation, were categorized. Generic determinants were extracted from these statements. RESULTS: In this research 38 articles were included. The literature analysis led to 12 generic determinants: clinical practice/reasoning, complete and accurate problem list, data structure/content, efficiency, functionality, interoperability, multi-disciplinary, overview of patient information, quality of care, system support, training of staff, and usability. CONCLUSIONS: Two main subjects can be distinguished in the determinants: the system that the problem list and POMR is integrated in and the organization using that system. The combination of the two requires a sociotechnical approach and both are equally important for successful implementation of a POMR. All the determinants have to be taken into account, but the weight given to each of the determinants depends on the organizationusing the problem list or POMR.

Medical Record Documentation in a Learning Disability In-patient Unit.

INTRODUCTION: Consistency in clinical structure and content is an important aspect of clinical practice. The rising demands on healthcare systems and associated costs require a much more efficient and transparent means of recording and accessing reliable clinical information in order to manage and deliver good quality care to patients. AIMS: The audit has been completed with an aim to highlight the local standards set for medical record documentation and to assess if the outlined standards are being met in a learning disability in-patient psychiatric setting, the Coppice. METHODOLOGY: Criteria based on GMC Good Medical practice guidelines (2013), RCPsych Good Psychiatric Practice (2009) and Records Management Policy. CONCLUSIONS: Good practice was maintained for most parameters. Mild inaccuracies were noted with date of birth/ward name, timing and signatures. RECOMMENDATIONS: This was presented locally and measures put in place to address the gaps. A re-audit should be performed within a year in order to complete the audit cycle and to ensure that the recommendations and action plan have been followed through.

Pro Re Nata (PRN) prescription in an Inpatient Low Secure Learning Disability Unit.

INTRODUCTION: Pro Re Nata (PRN) prescribing in psychiatry is a common and valuable facility to be used in acutely distressed patients. It is open to misuse and PRN prescribing may be unnecessary/inappropriate. AIM: The aim of the audit is to ensure safe and effective prescription of PRN medication. AUDIT STANDARDS: The standards were set in congruence with the guidance from the local trust policy. METHODOLOGY: All of the inpatient records at Wood Lea clinic were studied over a 2 month period. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the standards against which the clinical notes were assessed gave evidence of good medical practice. Patient demographics demonstrated a 100% record of the NHS number but the patient's name and ward fell short. RECOMMENDATIONS: This was presented locally and measures put in place to address gaps. Re-audit should be performed within a year in order to complete the audit cycle and to ensure that recommendations/action plan have been followed through.

In pursuit of excellence: an integrated care pathway for C1 inhibitor deficiency.

There are estimated to be approximately 1500 people in the United Kingdom with C1 inhibitor (C1INH) deficiency. At BartsHealth National Health Service (NHS) Trust we manage 133 patients with this condition and we believe that this represents one of the largest cohorts in the United Kingdom. C1INH deficiency may be hereditary or acquired. It is characterized by unpredictable episodic swellings, which may affect any part of the body, but are potentially fatal if they involve the larynx and cause significant morbidity if they involve the viscera. The last few years have seen a revolution in the treatment options that are available for C1 inhibitor deficiency. However, this occurs at a time when there are increased spending restraints in the NHS and the commissioning structure is being overhauled. Integrated care pathways (ICP) are a tool for disseminating best practice, for facilitating clinical audit, enabling multi-disciplinary working and for reducing health-care costs. Here we present an ICP for managing C1 inhibitor deficiency.

Simple prescribing errors and allergy documentation in medical hospital admissions in Australia and New Zealand.

This study aimed to quantify and compare the prevalence of simple prescribing errors made by clinicians in the first 24 hours of a general medical patient's hospital admission. Four public or private acute care hospitals across Australia and New Zealand each audited 200 patients' drug charts. Patient demographics, pharmacist review and pre-defined prescribing errors were recorded. At least one simple error was present on the medication charts of 672/715 patients, with a linear relationship between the number of medications prescribed and the number of errors (r = 0.571, p < 0.001). The four sites differed significantly in the prevalence of different types of simple prescribing errors. Pharmacists were more likely to review patients aged > or = 75 years (39.9% vs 26.0%; p < 0.001) and those with more than 10 drug prescriptions (39.4% vs 25.7%; p < 0.001). Patients reviewed by a pharmacist were less likely to have inadequate documentation of allergies (13.5% vs 29.4%, p < 0.001). Simple prescribing errors are common, although their nature differs from site to site. Clinical pharmacists target patients with the most complex health situations, and their involvement leads to improved documentation.

Quality of discharge summaries prepared by first year internal medicine residents.

BACKGROUND: Patients are particularly susceptible to medical error during transitions from inpatient to outpatient care. We evaluated discharge summaries produced by incoming postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) internal medicine residents for their completeness, accuracy, and relevance to family physicians. METHODS: Consecutive discharge summaries prepared by PGY-1 residents for patients discharged from internal medicine wards were retrospectively evaluated by two independent reviewers for presence and accuracy of essential domains described by the Joint Commission for Hospital Accreditation. Family physicians rated the relevance of a separate sample of discharge summaries on domains that family physicians deemed important in previous studies. RESULTS: Ninety discharge summaries were assessed for completeness and accuracy. Most items were completely reported with a given item missing in 5% of summaries or fewer, with the exception of the reason for medication changes, which was missing in 15.9% of summaries. Discharge medication lists, medication changes, and the reason for medication changes--when present--were inaccurate in 35.7%, 29.5%, and 37.7% of summaries, respectively. Twenty-one family physicians reviewed 68 discharge summaries. Communication of follow-up plans for further investigations was the most frequently identified area for improvement with 27.7% of summaries rated as insufficient. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that medication details were frequently omitted or inaccurate, and that family physicians identified lack of clarity about follow-up plans regarding further investigations and visits to other consultants as the areas requiring the most improvement. Our findings will aid in the development of educational interventions for residents.

[High-quality hospital discharge summaries - general practitioners expectations]. / Welche Anforderungen stellt der Hausarzt an einen guten Spitalaustrittsbericht?

Hospital discharge summaries ensure treatment continuity after hospital discharge. In Switzerland discharge letters are a celebrated custom and a tool for training young colleagues. The primary purpose is to guarantee high-quality care of patients treated by hospital staff and general practitioners. From the perspective of the patient's general practitioner discharge summaries should convey current and accurate medically important patient data to the physician responsible for follow-up care. In the era of highly developed electronic data transfer and introduction of diagnose related groups (DRGs), it will be necessary to transmit hospital discharge information selectively to different target groups. Nevertheless data protection and medical secret must be complied with.

Clinical recognition of dementia and cognitive impairment in primary care: a meta-analysis of physician accuracy.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the ability of the general practitioners (GPs) to recognize a spectrum of cognitive impairment from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to severe dementia in routine practice using their own clinical judgment. METHOD: Using PRISMA criteria, a meta-analysis of studies testing clinical judgment and clinical documentation was conducted against semi-structured interviews (for dementia) and cognitive tests (for cognitive impairment). We located 15 studies reporting on dementia, seven studies that examined recognition of broadly defined cognitive impairment, and eight regarding MCI. RESULTS: By clinical judgment, clinicians were able to identify 73.4% of people with dementia and 75.5% of those without dementia but they made correct annotations in medical records in only 37.9% of cases (and 90.5% of non-cases). For cognitive impairment, detection sensitivity was 62.8% by clinician judgment but 33.1% according to medical records. Specificity was 92.6% for those without cognitive impairment by clinical judgment. Regarding MCI, GPs recognized 44.7% of people with MCI, although this was recorded in medical notes only 10.9% of the time. Their ability to identify healthy individuals without MCI was between 87.3% and 95.5% (detection specificity). CONCLUSION: GPs have considerable difficulty identifying those with MCI and those with mild dementia and are generally poor at recording such diagnoses in medical records.

[Detection of temporomandibular joint diseases in elderly and senile age in ambulatory medicoprophylactic institutions].

The research analyzes diagnostic TMJ's disease's identification work of stomalogists owned to different types of day care properties (municipal, departmental, private). This research based on examination of primary medical records of 1906 patients aged 61 to 89 years, including 2978 prescribing lists made by stomatologists - orthopedists to dental outpatient's card. This research shows that in case of outpatient conditions in the primary examination of patients of elderly and senile age stomatologists pay attention to joint pathology in the presence of acute patients' complaints, caused by TMJ's displacement, arthritis, painful TMJ's dysfunction or pronounced sound phenomena of TMJ. Stomatologists examine TMJ's pathology more particularly. The TMJ's pathology complicates the tooth replacement made to patients contrary to absence of indications of disease presence in primary medical records. The prepared conclusion and recommendations allow improving the outpatient diagnosis of TMJ's pathology.

Inaccuracy in patient handoffs: discrepancies between resident-generated reports and the medical record.

A handoff is the transfer of a patient's care from one provider to another. It usually involves both a verbal and written exchange of information. Although written handoff sheets are critical to good patient care, there is little data on the quality of information they contain. We conducted a study to assess the accuracy of handoff sheets used in one Minneapolis internal medicine residency program. We compared the accuracy of information about code status, medication allergies, medications, and problems recorded on the handoff sheet with that in the patient's medical record. We found errors were common in resident handoff sheets. Only 83 (19%) of 428 handoff sheets contained no errors. The most common error was one of omission on the medication list (69% of the handoff sheets contained a medication omission). The percentage of patient handoff sheets with code-status errors was 5.7%, and the percentage with medication allergy errors was 2.8%. Important problems were omitted from the problem list in 22% of cases.

Improving the Utility of Tobacco-Related Problem List Entries Using Natural Language Processing.

We present findings on using natural language processing to classify tobacco-related entries from problem lists found within patient's electronic health records. Problem lists describe health-related issues recorded during a patient's medical visit; these problems are typically followed up upon during subsequent visits and are updated for relevance or accuracy. The mechanics of problem lists vary across different electronic health record systems. In general, they either manifest as pre-generated generic problems that may be selected from a master list or as text boxes where a healthcare professional may enter free text describing the problem. Using commonly-available natural language processing tools, we classified tobacco-related problems into three classes: active-user, former-user, and non-user; we further demonstrate that rule-based post-processing may significantly increase precision in identifying these classes (+32%, +22%, +35% respectively). We used these classes to generate tobacco time-spans that reconstruct a patient's tobacco-use history and better support secondary data analysis. We bundle this as an open-source toolkit with flow visualizations indicating how patient tobacco-related behavior changes longitudinally, which can also capture and visualize contradicting information such as smokers being flagged as having never smoked.

Level of accuracy of diagnoses recorded in discharge summaries: A cohort study in three respiratory wards.

RATIONALE: One of the key functions of the discharge summary is to convey accurate diagnostic description of patients. Inaccurate or missing diagnoses may result in a false clinical picture, inappropriate management, poor quality of care, and a higher risk of re-admission. While several studies have investigated the presence or absence of diagnoses within discharge summaries, there are very few published studies assessing the accuracy of these diagnoses. The aim of this study was to measure the accuracy of diagnoses recorded in sample summaries, and to determine if it was correlated with the type of diagnoses (eg, "respiratory" diagnoses), the number of diagnoses, or the length of patient stay. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in three respiratory wards in a large UK NHS Teaching Hospital. We determined the reference list of diagnoses (the closest to the true state of the patient based on consultant knowledge, patient records, and laboratory investigations) for comparison with the diagnoses recorded in a discharge summary. To enable objective comparison, all patient diagnoses were encoded using a standardized terminology (ICD-10). Inaccuracy of the primary diagnosis alone and all diagnoses in discharge summaries was measured and then correlated with type of diseases, number of diagnoses, and length of patient stay. RESULTS: A total of 107 of 110 consecutive discharge summaries were analysed. The mean inaccuracy rate per discharge summary was 55% [95% CI 52 to 58%]. Primary diagnoses were wrong, inaccurate, missing, or mis-recorded as a secondary diagnosis in half the summaries. The inaccuracy rate was correlated with the type of disease but not with number of diagnoses nor length of patient stay. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that diagnoses were not accurately recorded in discharge summaries, highlighting the need to measure and improve discharge summary quality.

Computer generated operation notes.

Providing an appropriate operation note is not only good practice, it is a professional and legal requirement. It was therefore necessary to ascertain whether operation notes generated by a clinical information system were of acceptable quality compared to handwritten notes when the Bluespier Patient Manager, a clinical information system, was introduced into an orthopaedic trauma unit. A four week prospective audit of operation notes was conducted both before and after its introduction, with standards based on criteria from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, plus additional orthopaedic criteria. 119 operation notes were reviewed before the introduction of computer-generated notes and 137 notes afterwards. Computer-generated notes were of better quality in all areas except the details of the author and time of generation. Previous audits of the quality of general surgical operation notes in district general hospitals have shown variable results and several solutions have previously been tried. With the advent of the National Programme for IT (NPfIT), computer generated notes are the next logical step. The introduction of computer-generated operation notes has improved their quality in terms of compliance with Royal College guidelines and other orthopaedic criteria.

Illness script development in pre-clinical education through case-based clinical reasoning training.

OBJECTIVES: To assess illness script richness and maturity in preclinical students after they attended a specifically structured instructional format, i.e., a case based clinical reasoning (CBCR) course. METHODS: In a within-subject experimental design, medical students who had finished the CBCR course participated in an illness script experiment. In the first session, richness and maturity of students' illness scripts for diseases discussed during the CBCR course were compared to illness script richness and maturity for similar diseases not included in the course. In the second session, diagnostic performance was tested, to test for differences between CBCR cases and non-CBCR cases. Scores on the CBCR course exam were related to both experimental outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-two medical students participated. Illness script richness for CBCR diseases was almost 20% higher than for non-CBCR diseases, on average 14.47 (SD=3.25) versus 12.14 (SD=2.80), respectively (p<0.001). In addition, students provided more information on Enabling Conditions and less on Fault-related aspects of the disease. Diagnostic performance was better for the diseases discussed in the CBCR course, mean score 1.63 (SD=0.32) versus 1.15 (SD=0.29) for non-CBCR diseases (p<0.001). A significant correlation of exam results with recognition of CBCR cases was found (r=0.571, p<0.001), but not with illness script richness (r=-0.006, p=NS). CONCLUSIONS: The CBCR-course fosters early development of clinical reasoning skills by increasing the illness script richness and diagnostic performance of pre-clinical students. However, these results are disease-specific and therefore we cannot conclude that students develop a more general clinical reasoning ability.