DESIGN SHOULD HELP USE OF PATIENTS DATA

Checklists and other tools help doctors to use published evidence in c linical practice. Two other important sources of evidence, however, ar e the patient and his or her medical record. This series aims to advan ce the practice of evidence-based medicine by helping in redesign of m edical records, drawing on insights from psychology, information desig n, and medical informatics; and by promoting changes analogous to thos e occurring in the medical literature. The four papers look at: the us es of medical records and importance of organising them so doctors can use the data they contain; different methods doctors use to search fo r data and how design of records can help or hinder these approaches; how we interpret data once found, and how record formatting assists th is process; and the issues raised by computerisation of records.