letter merge vs sheets

[enamelrod]

which method is better for referral letters from GP to specialist?

[jordansparks]

Sheets is better because it saves a copy with the patient and involves less clicks. Letter merge might be better if you need multiple pages, images that change with each patient, advanced formatting, colors, etc.

[fishdrzig]

Is the complete copy saved and if so, where is it saved to?

[jordansparks]

Yes, the complete copy is saved in the database. Well, the various parts of it are saved. If you want to later view or print it, it reassembles the sheet from data in the database. The reassembled version should always look exactly like the original due to the way it's saved. But it's not archived as a file or anything.

[fishdrzig]

Where would I go in the database to reprint or view it again? Thanks

[drtech]

double click in in the pt progress notes to see it again.
...from the database, prob in a sheets table or something, haven't looked at it to see what the exact name is.

[B.Thomas]

The one problem I have with sheets and letters is the lack of customizable fields. My goal is to enter information from the Medical History and Clinical Exam into the patient's database. Then be able to make customized letters using this data as merge fields.

I like how Auto Notes allows prompted inputs but I don't see an easy way (programming wise) to enter customizable fields into the patient's data base. Possibly using something like Patient Field Definitions? Any thoughts?

[jordansparks]

Formalized fields for medical history and clinical exams. Hmm. Formalizing data is always complex. We have made inroads in the areas of charting procedures, perio, medications, and allergies/diseases. Some clinical exam data seems too complex to formalize into database tables. That's why we take the approach of storing it as a text narrative. There will probably be something very similar to patient field defs when we build out sheets in that area. For example, you could drop input fields onto the sheet and each one could have a "name" of some sort. You could then run queries that pull out information from those named sheet fields. Although I don't know about pumping the data back out to other sheets; that would be something to be considered later.