Evaluation of joint medical and nursing notes with preprinted prompts.
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.
Robins
A
A
North Middlesex Hospital, London, UK.
Gallagher
A
A
Rossiter
M A
MA
Lloyd
B W
BW
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