When it comes to the medical problem list – the equivalent of the front page of a patient’s electronic health record (EHR) – some EHR workflows can leave a bit to be desired. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the help of medical coding software that focuses on problem list management alongside problem-oriented filtering, the problem list can easily become…less problematic.

Simplify the medical problem list

When problems are organized into intuitive clinical categories, review workflows are simplified. And when duplicate, outdated, and conflicting problems are readily identified, it is easier to achieve a well-maintained problem list. Streamlining these processes is central to understanding a patient’s history and provides a solid foundation for healthcare data analytics as well as the development of population health initiatives.

What’s more, by organizing problems into intuitive clinical categories – while regularly decluttering the list – a host of benefits emerge, such as:

• Time savings and a reduced cognitive burden for providers both before and after the patient visit
• Increased provider engagement in the day-to-day maintenance of the medical problem list
• More accurate support for clinical decision-making stemming from current and correct clinical documentation in the problem list
• Improved risk adjustment factor (RAF) scores through better recognition of unaddressed Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs)

Gain insights at the point of care

When EHR workflows have problem-oriented filtering on their side, it’s easy for clinicians to quickly access a contextualized summary of a patient’s problems, along with important information about relevant medications and labs. With the right information at the top of the medical problem list, gaining insights at the point of care is no longer a tedious process.

 Problem-oriented filtering helps providers achieve the best possible outcomes through:

• Simplifying the EHR workflows needed to access, organize, and analyze critical patient data
• Improving patient safety by minimizing the potential for critical patient data to be inadvertently missed
• Increasing clinician satisfaction by shifting attention away from EHR workflows and on to the physician-patient interaction
• Helping clinicians create precise care plans by providing visibility to past and current tests and treatments

Solving the problem with the problem list is just the beginning. Click here to learn how our foundational clinical interface terminology offering, IMO Core, can help improve your problem list management and more.