ABSTRACT
An accurate and up-to-date patient problem list represents the cornerstone of the problem-oriented medical record, especially in internal medicine. It serves as a valuable tool for providers attempting to familiarize themselves with a patient's clinical status and provides a means of succinctly communicating this information between providers. In addition, an accurate problem list has been associated with higher-quality care. [1] For example, Hartung et al found that patients with ‘congestive heart failure’ (CHF) on their problem list were more likely to receive ACE inhibitors or angiotensin-II receptor blockers than CHF patients without ‘CHF’ listed
on their problem list. Further, many clinical decision support (CDS) rules use problem list entries to make inferences about patients, [2] so a complete, accurate list may facilitate more effective CDS. Conversely, an incomplete or inaccurate problem list could lead to delayed or inappropriate care. Finally, an accurate and comprehensive problem list would help to correctly identify patient populations and create patient registries conduction of quality improvement activities and research.
