Authors (including presenting author) :
Fong YL (1), Lau HL (1), Wong WK (1), Wong SY (1), Wong CS (1), So MT (2), Yip OW (2),Chau CY (2)
Affiliation :
(1) Specialist Outpatient Department(SOPD) (2) HIRO Department, Pok Oi Hospital.
Introduction :
Outpatient and inpatient clinical notes were put together in one hospital folder in POH. In current practice, HIRO staff will send the patient folder to SUR clinic after patient’s registration on the follow up day. Clinic staff will check patient’s identity against the medical record folder before which was sent into doctors’ consultation room.
One hospital folder can weigh up to 2kg. Staff handle a huge number of hospital folders to and from record office by trolley and doctor consultation rooms can induce manual handling operation issues.
Objectives :
1. To minimize the paper storage in patients’ folder
2. To eliminate the risk of losing patients’ documents
3. To minimize the risk of manual handling of staff
4. To reduce the time in handling of patients’ folder
Methodology :
After thorough discussion with all stakeholders, this project was conducted since August 2020 with full support from the management team.
In initial phase, we piloted folderless consultation in Surgical clinic session every Wednesday.
HIRO would collect the remote printer slip in a designated transparent zip bag when patient registered in the registration counter. The zip bags would then be transferred to Blue zone (SUR clinic). SUR clinic staff would check patient’s identity against with the medical record folder and remote printer slip.
To facilitate doctor’s manual appointment and investigation booking, supporting staff would collect 6 patient’s printed labels.
The labels and lab results/ patient enquiry documents (if any) were put into the zip bag and given to doctor.
Medical record folders were standby in nurse station; and doctor could review the medical folder immediately upon requested.
After the clinic session finished, supporting staff would collect the transparent zip bag with filing documents (if any) and the remaining patient labels would be discarded into the confidential box.
Result & Outcome :
The trial run of folderless consultation in the clinic was supported by all surgical doctors, nurses and supporting staff.
The transparent zip bag is much lighter than the original medical record. Occupational safety of staff will be enhanced.
No doctors requested to review patient medical record after new workflow.
Time saving on folder handling after clinic session finished.
We pilot ran the trial in one SUR clinic, all doctors, nurse and supporting staff welcomed the improvement work. In future, we will discuss on-demand label printing. The way forward is to share these good practices to other clinics in SOPC in the NTWC.
