ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the review of patient records and other commonly stored information for educational purposes, rather than the technology, which is a substantial topic on its own. An overview of what constitutes good record keeping is a useful prerequisite to the educational discussion. The purpose of patient records is to provide a meaningful record of the healthcare of each patient. Learners should observe good record keeping in the practice records, they should discuss record keeping with their supervisor, and they should receive feedback at regular intervals about the content and meaning of their own contributions. Medical students should also contribute to patient records where they contribute to consultations. Patient records are a written recording of what took place during consultations. A North American term for using patient records to explore clinical knowledge is 'chart stimulated recall'. The chapter presents a framework for using patient records as a powerful tool in practice-based clinical teaching and assessment.
