TO DO management

I have a patient in hospital with some health issues and a liver
abscess that has recurred. He has no Hx of CAD but they did an echo to
rule out vegetations on any valves.

However, it said:

"Concentric
left ventricular hypertrophy with abnormal wall motion abnormality
suggestive of disease of the RCA/PDA coronary artery."

So I'll probably get him through a cardiac workup when the dust settles.

I need to do it, not now, but soon, or at least sometime.


I could forget unless I do it now.

I need a way to handle these things.



Sometimes I want to do things, "The Next Time someone comes in". Nothing Urgent, Just want a reminder to check this and that.



I've always wanted some sort of TO DO list for my secretary. Currently I send her a message to do things, but I would like her to have a TODO list that requires her to check off when something is done.




I want to be able to assign TODO items very easily (similar to how I can add a disease with the [F5] popup). [F5], type in disease [add diagnosis], close window. (3 seconds).



Anyone else have other ideas / needs ?

Another example.

<table bgcolor="#e5f2eb" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" id="tblDiscs" width="100%"><tbody><tr class="HiLoRes">
<td align="left" valign="top">HEMOGLOBIN</td>
<td align="right">111</td>
<td>LO</td>
<td align="left">120 - 160</td>
<td>g/L</td>
<td>19-Jan-07 12:25</td>
<td>A0</td>
<td>New</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="white" class="NormalRes">
<td align="left" valign="top">HEMATOCRIT</td>
<td align="right">0.36</td>
<td></td>
<td align="left">0.35 - 0.45</td>
<td></td>
<td>19-Jan-07 12:25</td>
<td>A0</td>
<td>New</td></tr>
<tr class="NormalRes">
<td align="left" valign="top">WHITEBLOODCELLCOUNT</td>
<td align="right">4.0</td>
<td></td>
<td align="left">4.0 - 11.0</td>
<td>x E9/L</td>
<td>19-Jan-07 12:25</td>
<td>A0</td>
<td>New</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="white" class="NormalRes">
<td align="left" valign="top">REDBLOODCELLCOUNT</td>
<td align="right">4.88</td>
<td></td>
<td align="left">4.00 - 5.10</td>
<td>x E12/L</td>
<td>19-Jan-07 12:25</td>
<td>A0</td>
<td>New</td></tr>
<tr class="HiLoRes">
<td align="left" valign="top">MCV</td>
<td align="right">73.4</td>
<td>LO</td>
<td align="left">80 - 100</td>
<td>fL</td>
<td>19-Jan-07 12:25</td>
<td>A0</td>
<td>New</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="white" class="HiLoRes">
<td align="left" valign="top">MCH</td>
<td align="right">22.7</td>
<td>LO</td>
<td align="left">27.5 - 33.0</td>
<td>pg</td>
<td>19-Jan-07 12:25</td>
<td>A0</td>
<td>New</td></tr></tbody></table>



Here's a patient I told to take iron pills.

She never comes in. Nor will she.

I'd like to remind myself to ask her next time she comes in.

Add a tag ..

Well that certainly could be part of a solution.

That was the original intent of having that list there.

Yes. True.



Tagging consult notes is only one aspect of TODOs.

Other requirements:

* tagging result items (more common need than tagging consults):

I usually find something that needs doing by reading my inbox. I see a blood result that needs follow up ... etc. I want to be able to TAG that item so I can deal with it later. I often want to empty my INBOX (see all the items)before I do what needs doing.



Other todo items

(1) insurance company forms

(2) return phone calls.

... etc.



These TODO tags aren't optimally useful until I can "search my entire patient load" of TODOs and then display all the todo items in one location.

I also want to have a TODO list for my staff members. I would want them to be able to assign each other TODO items and I want to be able to assign them TODO items.

I definitely want a "Recall Patient" list.

This is a complicated topic. We'll need to think about things before proceeding.

Q: Might a specialist want a "get this family doctor on the phone" list ?

This Message Staff icon (from the inbox) is a good example of the beginning of good workflow.

After "Message Staff" a more clear path as to how the doctor's requests are going to be handled is needed.

The best / easiest example is patient recall for an appointment.

The flow from the doctor deciding something needs to be done until the patient is in the office needs to be paperless and smooth.

One Idea might be that the "To Be Booked" patients end up in a "To Book" Area in the scheduler.

see .jpg

Note: the exact subject I typed in for the patient to return to the appointment should be the Subject of their next appointment.

There is already a comprehensive "todo" or "tickler" list. I suggest that be used instead of creating multiple different todo lists.

Should a todo list be specific for a staff member? I don't think so because what happens when that person goes on holiday, or is sick?
"Todo" lists are patient oriented.

Each day run a report on the ticklers due for the next (14) days ...

In the Report on the todo lists, double click on a row to edit that tickler.

I really need todos. I dont think our current ticklers are the answer. I'll have to think about it.

There is a filter on staff available .. I'll have to check the source to see what it does!

[quote user="qilin"]
How about attaching the staff name to the tickler, add a default filter in the report by the staff/login names, and also allow filter off by clicking a button, e.g. [list all ticklers]?

Since I don't need to know my receptionist's ticklers as to which insurance company she has to call. She doesn't need to know that I have a urgent head CT I need to follow within the next few days.

[/quote]

Two good points here.

I'd say the weakest link for my office workflow efficiency is the lack of "Here and Now" ToDo management. Qilin is right, tagging consults ain't going to do it.

This needs more thought but it's a definite need.

I want to also have the option of seeing what my secretary has done on the items I told her to do. Similarly, she wants to be able to see what I've done to get referrals off .. etc.

Both are needed.

I really need to be able to just flag a patient quickly, with a note "refer to DERM for Basal Cell". It has to be ultra quick. Of course I like the popup method.

Refer to derm - just popup the ticklers, and add this as a tickler due today.

Later on, just run a report on all the due ticklers. Ticklers are todo lists.

Jason, if you need to checkup on what the secretary is doing, you need to get a new secretary.

the other thing I do to create a to-do list for myself is message myself so that it stays in my message inbox.

Which means that the result itself can be filed, but the message about the result remains.

I really really need ToDos.

I'll try to highlight my needs and see if others are interested.

It would help a Synapse MD and staff work more efficiently.

As a solo practitioner I just use the Practice Noticeboard for my todos ...