Fam Pract Manag. 2003;10(7):14-16
To the Editor:
As noted in “Making Paper Charts More Efficient” [April 2003, page 51], it’s quite a challenge to standardize processes to meet the demands of documentation. In our large residency practice, we use several stamps, including one that documents a no-show and directs follow-up and one that documents tests that were not completed and directs follow-up. The stamp we find most helpful enables us to document that we’ve reviewed letters and labs and other test results without needing the patient’s chart. It looks like this:
Reviewed by: ________________________
Date: ______________________
□ Letter sent □ Phoned
□ Repeat/Follow-up in
_____ days/mos/yrs (circle one)
□ Discuss at next visit
The chart still needs to be pulled to file the result, but it does not need to be taken out of circulation, which is of great benefit to our staff.