Hi, this is Dr. Stu Hoffman, president of ChiroSecure, and back with another great risk management tip. Our tip today is on updating patient records. It’s always my recommendation to update your patient with any and all changes that occur. Not only the changes that are a result of the care you provide, but all changes and care that they may receive from any and all other healthcare providers. Patients will not always tell you when they start or stop a medication, or a supplement, or develop a new system that they may think is totally unrelated to anything that they’re seeing you for, or even if they’ve had a new fall or an accident.
Any change has the potential to affect the delivery and outcome of your care. Starting with your initial report findings, emphasize the need to know any changes the patient is experiencing, no matter how trivial they may think that they are. Get into the habit of asking if anything has changed on each and every visit, or at the very least on each reevaluation. A new medication can turn a low risk patient into a high risk patient, and affect everything from potential fractures to the risk of stroke. You never want to be treating a patient that you don’t know the risk.
Educating patients to participate in their own healing process or wellness plan should include your encouragement to them to keep you abreast of any changes in their health. Please like us on Facebook as we will continue to provide great information and resources to you. I’m Dr. Stu Hoffman with your risk management tip.