New year’s resolutions … Clinical notes … the fear of white elephants!
This is the third and final part of the paperless practice series. Do not worry there will be more fascinating topics to follow…
In this blog we are going to address the fear that is clinical notes, the massive white elephant which is sitting in the corner of your practice right now, taking up all that room. So sit tight, get a cup of tea and let me guide you through conquering your fear of white elephants!
What is a white elephant?
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth (Wikipedia 2014).
So now you know what a white elephant is. Does it sound familiar? It’s your old friend paper notes … the once dependable, coffee stained micro slices of tree which now are now rapidly becoming a burden and a risk to you and your clinic. You know you need to do something about it but then the fear creeps in and you decide to put it off to do another time … just like a reluctant patient!
Well, I think I know your fears …. I’ve been there myself … I’ve helped many people overcome theirs…. Paul McKenna I am not but the simple answer is we all need a little help now and again and when it’s in the right place at the right time it can make a great difference. So here’s a list of common questions (in no particular order) I hear on my travels and my advice to help overcome these common fears:
“Electronic notes will break the patient practitioner relationship”
They don’t. Just listen to your patient carefully before touching your computer it’s as simple as that. Hear the patient’s story first, just as you were taught when first learning paper notes!
“Computers restrict my ability to practice freely”
Clinical templates can help direct and focus your questions. When combined with free text boxes this gives great freedom and the assurance that you’re not forgetting any key areas of your clinical notes.
“The notes don’t look like anything I’ve ever seen before, where do I start?”
TM2 notes flow through a patient journey from admission to discharge. Once you understand this everything else falls into place.
“I don’t have time to make the change, I’m too busy”
Make the time! Investing your time now will reap massive future rewards.
“The practitioners in my clinic will revolt!”
Learning something new is always a challenge. Like most things in life when clinical notes are explained in a clear and logical manner the uptake is much easier!
Do these all sound familiar? All of the above can undermine your potential success if you let them. Do yourself a favour and drop a line to the guys and gals in TM2 sales (www.insidetm2.com/contact) they really know what they are talking about or send me an email [email protected] Let us help you overcome your fear of white elephants !