Medicine residents nationwide spend 6 hrs/day on Paperwork

[Gfunk6]

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/health/08chen.html

Analyzing the results of a national survey of over 15,000 trainees in internal medicine, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that a majority of residents reported spending as many as six hours a day documenting, while only a fraction of residents spent as much time with patients. In other words, young people who are learning to doctor spend as much time writing, typing or dictating about their patients as they do seeing them.

Sad but not surprising.

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[mig26x]

doesnt surprise me as this is what we usually spend in my program daily give or take

 

[RandomKai]

I know the number is ridiculous but it is internal medicine after all. It's not a very procedural specialty. Plus how else do you get anything done on a medicine ward? You want meds, you write an order. You want an X-ray, you write an order. You want physiotherapy, you write an order. Of course they spend all their time documenting.

 

[mig26x]

I know the number is ridiculous but it is internal medicine after all. It's not a very procedural specialty. Plus how else do you get anything done on a medicine ward? You want meds, you write an order. You want an X-ray, you write an order. You want physiotherapy, you write an order. Of course they spend all their time documenting.

the orders take a few minutes to do, is all the detail that has to go into the progress note/admission or discharge summary.

 

[dragonfly99]

At first when I read this, I was like, "No way!". However, this could be true, particularly if you are taking about IM interns who have to write all the daily progress notes. Try following 10 or 12 medicine patients or something and writing all those detailed notes every day...and discharge summaries, etc.

 

[drfunktacular]

At first when I read this, I was like, "No way!". However, this could be true, particularly if you are taking about IM interns who have to write all the daily progress notes. Try following 10 or 12 medicine patients or something and writing all those detailed notes every day...and discharge summaries, etc.

OHHH THE PAIN

 

[Buzz Me]

At first when I read this, I was like, "No way!". However, this could be true, particularly if you are taking about IM interns who have to write all the daily progress notes. Try following 10 or 12 medicine patients or something and writing all those detailed notes every day...and discharge summaries, etc.

How about some of the busy trauma/general surgery services here where interns have to write 40-50 notes a day? Oh the humanity!

 

[Touchdown]

How about some of the busy trauma/general surgery services here where interns have to write 40-50 notes a day? Oh the humanity!

But your notes all look like this:

S: ___ y/o M/F POD:___. Pt in NAD
O: H: RRR
L: CTAB
A: SNT BS +/-
Wound: __________
A/P: ___ y/o M/F POD:___
1. Continue Post Op care, await return of bowel function.

 

[Coastie]

How about some of the busy trauma/general surgery services here where interns have to write 40-50 notes a day? Oh the humanity!

It amazes me how poor patient care is on so many trauma/gen surg services.

40-50 notes a day? Yeah, I've seen the care on those services. Pathetic and damn near criminal.

 

[Coastie]

But your notes all look like this:

S: ___ y/o M/F POD:___. Pt in NAD
O: H: RRR
L: CTAB
A: SNT BS +/-
Wound: __________
A/P: ___ y/o M/F POD:___
1. Continue Post Op care, await return of bowel function.

Bingo.

 

[filter07]

But your notes all look like this:

S: ___ y/o M/F POD:___. Pt in NAD
O: H: RRR
L: CTAB
A: SNT BS +/-
Wound: __________
A/P: ___ y/o M/F POD:___
1. Continue Post Op care, await return of bowel function.

what are you checking the heart and lungs for? also, the S and A are redundant.

 

[eddie13231]

Does this include electronic medical records? You can have a template where everything is automatically filled with pt. info or you can select it from designated lists. Its soooo fast.