I do what Wendell does with the dummy, "allaway" but I don't agree that you want to throw stuff away. If you discuss something with a patient, show me. It shouldn't cost you significant extra time or too many terabytes, but it makes your chart all the more bullet proof. Where we have paper printed out, "Orders: Send this patient to Dr. Smith" the MA copies Dr. Smiths contact information on the sheet, documents if she helped get the appointment sent up, AND THEN SCANS THE WHOLE THING IN before she gives the paper to the patient. If the patient loses it, anyone in the office can print another, no duplication of effort and no loss of documentation. (Of course where I have been a good scout, the orders template already has all of Dr. Smiths info)
What I don't do well is forward the unsigned chart to the MA, let her make the notes on my note, then sign off after she has sent it back to me. How many of you let the chart out of your control before signing it?
