How accurate are medical records in detecting patient problems?

Medical records can become a book about the health and sickness of a person or a family; they should be comprehensive, orderly and reviewed by the doctor at regular intervals. They can be one of the best sources of continuing medical education. The RACGP has developed a format for recording a brief but comprehensive dossier on a patient. This study shows the case finding method is superior in the detection of most patient problems to the method of gradual accumulation of patient data over the course of several consultations. The improved method takes a modest increase in time and effort but is worthwhile for the patient and well within the organisational capabilities of the modern general practitioner.