Home Forums Discussions Problems Printing Encounters/Notes

I want to use the Patient->Print->Encounters/Notes by Date Range function when referring a patient to another provider. However, this option prints all messages, which I definitely do not want to include in the printed documents. I can't figure out how to exclude the messages from being printed, as they are the only thing printed if I uncheck all option boxes. Does anyone know how to exclude messages?

I can't get your way to print messages, but you are the first one to not want to print messages in their printouts -- same as I. Not sure if this helps, but:

Past Encounters -> Progress Notes Only

Thanks Bert. I want to use the encounter/notes function to print encounters for transfer of care, since this function uses the HIPAA tracker dialogue box to track to whom information was released. And I hate the format of the CCD.

Oh, sorry.

I think you have recognized that you have a choice with the method you describe: if you are willing to accept ALL of the progress notes, you can print them without messages. But if you want to select certain dates, you must include the messages. This is annoying, but there is no good way around it.
Of course you can select each individual encounter in the date range you choose and "print" (to Updox or a pdf printer) and then combine them into one document for transmittal.

There is a thing that attorneys have called "work product." It is communication amongst themselves that, by definition, cannot or should not be able to be subpoenaed.

I messages sometimes contain statements, words or phrases that you wouldn't want read by a parent or another doctor. This is why, given we don't do MU, we do it as above so as to avoid their getting into the transferred chart. Of course, this has a double-edged sword as there may be very good documentation which you may need.

Bert,
I am not sure that we can consider our messages "work product" and protected.

If we get a phone call from a patient, that is documented in the messages. It is certainly a relevant part of the medical record.

We are careful never to write anything anywhere in the electronic record that we would not feel comfortable with others seeing.

Thanks, but I would have to disagree. You can use other places. Besides, I think we can pick and choose when we use them on the record. We simply don't send them when asked.

But, I am not sure that they could not be subpoenaed. Have you asked an attorney?

It is an interesting question.

Thanks for the idea, but I am just not worried about it.

Having learned the hard/expensive way that during discovery very little in the way of documentation can be protected, the words of wisdom that I got was never write something down that you aren't willing to have read in open court and entered into the record.

Of course, if you only say it, you only have to worry about the NSA listening in. As long as you keep it boring you should be OK. Phone Sex makes the NSA replay list