Originally Posted by Mario
I think that templates exist best as lists. For a hypertension template, I'd use some variation of the following:

Hypertension Symptom Checklist:
[n]=patient denies symptom
1. peripheral edema-
2. chest pain -
3. epistaxis -
4. headache -
5. syncope -
6. SOB -


For that patient, it would turn out like this:

(filling this out quickly requires you to use the arrow keys on the keyboard quite well; also, notice how I cascaded each line so that pressing the "down" arrow will take you the end of the next line)

Hypertension Symptom Checklist:
[n]=patient denies symptom
1. peripheral edema- ankle swelling after a long day of standing
2. chest pain - n
3. epistaxis - occasional nosebleeds in dry weather
4. headache - n
5. syncope - n
6. SOB - n


I agree, but would point out that it took 10.3 seconds just now to dictate the note from scratch using Dragon, 14.5 seconds to fill out the checklist. Other than not forgetting things, it didn't do much. Checklists for not forgetting are very useful, but the way AC is marketed it is not to be thorough, but to be fast. Everyone wants the note to be done when they leave the room.

David Grauman MD
Department of Medicine
Commonwealth Health Center
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands