How are you logging procedures, reading, pts, etc...

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Green912

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What's the best way you've found to keep logs of everything you need to keep track of? I'd like to use my PDA buy I'm having a hard time finding a good program.
 
What's the best way you've found to keep logs of everything you need to keep track of? I'd like to use my PDA buy I'm having a hard time finding a good program.

We just asked that question at orientation and our seniors told us they had better success with notecards for patient tracking than PDA or electronic tracking. I'm sure there are some who do it successfully, but from the people I've talked to, simpler is better. Anyway, you'll want a backup in case your battery dies or your device crashes. If everything is on there and you don't back it up daily, you could be in deep doo doo.

Also, some hospitals keep track of procedures, and can tell you how many of what you've done, but you have to remember to turn in the cards/forms. I'm going to also keep a little book with me and just put stickers in it with the other info (reason for procedure, complications, etc.).
 
for procedures, we use a system called new innovations (www.new-innov.com; it actually does many other things such as tracking duty hours, confrences, etc.). day to day, i just take a sticker from the chart and note the procedure i did- i find the time to officially log it later that day or within the week.

as far as keeping track of patients, i use a spreadsheet. the hospital allows the residents to have a "virtual drive" accessible on many computers (read not public) within the hospital, where we are allowed to have our patient data.
 
When on the floors or in the ICU, I made a photocopy of each procedure note and walked away with it.
 
What's the best way you've found to keep logs of everything you need to keep track of? I'd like to use my PDA buy I'm having a hard time finding a good program.

Tried the PDA thing as a med student. Dead batteries, 10x as much time/effort to record something compared to using a pen ... $300 gadgets that don't appreciate being dropped. PDAs are really only useful for carrying references.

Get a $1.09 notebook about the size of a 3x5 card, grab a sticker (pt name etc) from the chart after each procedure or case, scribble what you did, and be done with it.
 
I have been keeping stickers on the procedures, and then putting them in a Excel document. I know the chances of me needing to send them in when I am applying for an attending job, but if I am required, it will be simple. I had been keeping paper records during my internship, but that got too bulky and would have been a pain for 4 years of procedures.
 
for procedures, we use a system called new innovations (www.new-innov.com; it actually does many other things such as tracking duty hours, confrences, etc.). day to day, i just take a sticker from the chart and note the procedure i did- i find the time to officially log it later that day or within the week.

as far as keeping track of patients, i use a spreadsheet. the hospital allows the residents to have a "virtual drive" accessible on many computers (read not public) within the hospital, where we are allowed to have our patient data.

ditto to that...we too use new innovations...can get to it on desktop/laptop and PDA
 
3x5 index cards 👍
 
I keep the stickers on the back of my pt list and then log them into New Innovations when I get free time.
 
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