title: Designing a medical records review tool: an instructional guide.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical Records Reviews (MRR) are commonly used in research and quality activities in health care, however, there is a paucity of literature offering a step by step guide to devising a reliable, user-friendly tool.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This instructional paper focuses on the stages used to design and implement successful MRR using examples from two reviews in Australian rural hospitals investigating the responses of Registered Nurses to patient deterioration, and guided by time series principals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The MRR were conducted in two rural hospitals in conjunction with a simulation learning intervention where nurses rehearsed clinical management of a deteriorating patient. A six-step template is presented to guide practitioners on how to design and use a MRR tool.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When well-planned and appropriately used, MRR provides an excellent means for examining patient outcomes in addition to safety and quality of care.
authors.affiliation: a School of Nursing and Midwifery , Monash University , Berwick Campus, 100 Clyde Road Berwick 3806 , Australia.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McConnell-Henry
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Endacott
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Missen
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sparks
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000592:standards*; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards*; D008962:Models, Theoretical
keywords: chart audit; content validity; emergency; medical records review; relevance; simulation