HELPING CLINICIAN TO FIND DATA AND AVOID DELAYS

One major criticism of paper medical records is the time and effort re quired to find data items or to gain an overview. Computerisation does not necessarily help. To help clinicians find data faster and with le ss effort, everyone designing and writing in records needs to understa nd how and why we search records and the design features that make sea rching easier. This paper describes how clinicians search medical reco rds and how to improve record design, whether on paper or computer, to help clinicians find all the data they need without delay.