title: Evaluation of joint medical and nursing notes with preprinted prompts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the views of doctors and nurses about two recent innovations in the structure of case notes: the use of preprinted prompts and the use of joint medical and nursing notes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire survey of all doctors and nurses working on the children's wards.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children's wards in a district general hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whether or not respondents wanted to return to traditional notes; positive and negative aspects of the two innovations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an 81% response rate. 45 of 48 respondents (94%) did not want to return to traditional notes. Positive features of joint notes that were identified included: promotes team work (21/48 respondents), improves access to information (14/48), and reduces duplication (14/48). Negative features included uncertainty about identity of writer (8/48) and incompletely filled in sheets (7/48). Positive features of preprinted prompts included: less information omitted (29/48), easier to read and find information (28/48), and quicker to write (21/48). Negative features included: not enough space (19/48) and clerking too mechanical (16/48).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advantages of both innovations outweighed their disadvantages to the extent that only three out of 48 respondents wanted to return to writing traditional notes.
authors.affiliation: North Middlesex Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robins
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rossiter
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Lloyd
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D008499:Medical Records; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009737:Nursing Records; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom