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Comment by dogmatism | Hacker News Reader

I guess you're smarter than I am

I can't remember all the details to a sufficient level that I feel comfortable that I'm not forgetting something

and how do you know the current vitals and medication list? When the pt tells you they saw Dr X for Y (that you didn't know about) do you not want to look at that in case it impacts your plan? I guess you go out and come back? If you rx a med that needs lab monitoring, did you memorize that too? What about trends in labs?

IDK, I need info while I'm seeing the pt

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If the vitals were fine, as far as I'm concerned I don't need to remember the exact number (even though if pressed I probably could), and the same for labs. If a patient wants the exact values we'll make a copy for them.

For the med list, I do know what they're taking, but my usual folks bring in their pill bottles anyway just so we can make sure they all match up. This is also useful because if I want them to discontinue something or change it, I'll write it on the bottle, and make the change in the MAR when we're done. We're not usually making massive med changes on any one visit.

If they saw someone in the interim, I'll have already seen it in the chart before I see them, and if it's not there, I'd have to order the record anyway so it doesn't matter. Most of the offices here are on Epic, so Care Everywhere will usually get their notes.

I think we just have different practice styles here.

This very much reads like the arrogance that people complain about doctors having which makes them really not like doctors. When a server doesn't write down people's orders and gets something wrong, it's pretty trivial compared to when a doctor's arrogance thinking they remember all of the details and get something wrong. Even if you do "go back to the office right around the corner", you just come across as checked out and "too busy" to come prepared. Either way, again, this reads as the embodiment of everything that people hate about modern medicine, especially in the US.

There's no ideal solution: either you check the file in front of the patient and many find this impolite or a sign of failure to know everything, or you don't check and many find you're sometimes over assertive and likely wrong... As in many jobs, you can't please everyone.

Honestly, the real mystery is how can GP handle the workload with this completely sequential workflow. I'd just die of karoshi and sleep at work every night if I did that. GP must be ultra efficient.

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