RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Do medical admission pro formas ­improve the completeness of documentation? A multisite observational study
JF Future Healthcare Journal
JO Future Healthc J
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 121
OP 125
DO 10.7861/futurehosp.5-2-121
VO 5
IS 2
A1 Nicholas Smallwood
A1 Joe Russell
A1 Rachel Forbes-Pyman
A1 Anna Coates
YR 2018
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/5/2/121.abstract
AB There is little evidence as to whether clerking pro formas are more or less effective than continuation sheets for the acute medical admission clerking process. This two site audit aimed to assess the effect of introducing clerking pro formas on the completeness of documentation in 32 areas. Data were collected at two sites both pre- and post-introduction of two different clerking pro formas, and a two-tailed z-test used to assess the significance in changes in documentation at each individual site and combined across both sites. Site one showed improvements in 23/32 areas, with 7/32 (21.9%) being significant; three areas saw a decline and 1/32 showed a statistically significant decline. Site two showed improvement across 25/32 sites with 19 (59.4%) being significant; there were no areas showing less complete documentation. Cross-site analysis showed improvements in 30/32 categories, with 15 (46.9%) being significant; one area showed a non-significant decline. The greatest percentage improvement was seen in documentation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation / escalation decisions – an important consideration in this clinically unstable population.The introduction of clerking pro formas across two sites improved the completeness of documentation in a number of areas. This data supports the widespread introduction of clerking pro formas as a tool to improve the completeness of admission documentation.