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I don't want to use the reminder function for every call back that is needed, it seems cumbersome for that function. And I don't want to look at a reminder every month for 10 years if a routine colonscopy is to be followed. So today I got an idea. (Maybe everyone else already does this?)
In the 'Past Med History' I type a statement, "Colonoscopy was done by Dr. Ohja in March 2007, report still pending, but was told to return 2017. I might also have a patient with a diagnostic mammogram gram, and I note:"close interval follow will need return 2009 in January.
This fractured English allows me to consistently phrase the follow ups "return 2017" or whatever year.
The plan is that in January of the next year I will Text Search for all "return 2009" and I will get a list of patients that have something in the Past Medical History that tells me they need a test this year. By 2017 I should have a pretty long list, but I am betting Amazing Charts won't forget a single one.
Martin

Great idea, Martin. I agree with your assessment of the situation, and I like how you're exploiting that free text search. I like to see people using the simple features of Amazing Charts in creative ways.

Tell me, though, could you just search for 2009? Then you could use non-fractured English. Would there be any other reason that date might show up in a note, other than follow-up? I can't think of any.

I have been doing this in the PMX, but never thought of doing a search.

Thanks for the idea!

Barbara

@bcmd wow, your way ahead of me. It hadn't occurred to me that if I searched in Jan of 2009 then the text 2009 shouldn't appear much. Problem is if I don't search on time, it will start to clutter up the list with every little thing I charted that refers to the date, 2009.
@rainy, your welcome, I am pleased you like the idea.

I started out thinking of a way to track the colonoscopy.
But what I am more excited about is the chance to pull fragile patients out of the path of the bus, anytime I think I should.
For example: I see an elderly female, frail, with COPD who quit smoking two years ago. (150 pack-years). I think, "Gosh, if she gets the flu next year she will die for sure!" So I type in the problem list "High Flu Risk".
In September or October our vaccine arrives. We pull the lists, "age >64" and "Dx= COPD or Asthma or DM" Call everybody up, get all the shots done.
Then in Jan. or Feb. we start to see a lot of flu cases. People all sick, ER is full, no beds available in the Hospital. Now I pull the list "High Flu Risk", and I expect I will have 15-20 patients on the list. I call each one and check on them, remind them of the signs and symptoms and when to call me for help. And we review universal precautions. And I say, "If you are sitting in church and the neighbor next to you is sneezing and coughing, you get up and go home!! I am serious! For the next two months you stay away from anyone who is sick!"
I bet I can reduce by half the number of pulmonary patients of mine who wind up on a ventilator for weeks and weeks. The exciting thing is that I think I have figured out how to get managed care to pay for this!

cool ideas

this is a dumb question, but where is that search text function located?

Main Screen -> Click Search -> Click Free Text.