Flowsheets

Flowsheets are an information tool optimized for tracking observations at multiple points in time, allowing trends and relationships to be perceived. Flowsheets can be as simple as a table with rows for observations and columns for time snapshots. More sophisticated flowsheets can impose data quality rules on cells of the table, complying with standardized scales. Finally, flowsheets can be used to calculate metrics based on the data and to recognize critical values of those metrics.

Flowsheets are part of everyday nursing (e.g., vital signs, Ins and Outs, etc.) and allied health (e.g., respiratory device measures). Flowsheets are used in a more focused way by physicians, who may want to use a measure or framework to track clinical findings over time (e.g., CiWA tracking of alcohol withdrawal, Geriatric Depression Scale, etc.). Note that flowsheets are but one ways for deriving scores and metrics. When one-off summary measures are wanted, it may be better to use the Clinical Calculator or the Scales and Scores tool.

Access

Chart Activity

Flowsheets are available in all care contexts and are organized in an Activity Tab where specific flowsheets can be searched for. The Flowsheets activity can be marked as a favourite, and so always available amont the default tabs that show when a chart is opened.

Chart Sidebar

A Sidebar appears at the right of workstation screens when patient charts are opened. If collapsed, it can be expanded to view the Sidebar contents. The Sidebar always shows an index at the top, with an index item labelled "Views". Selecting this opens a Sidebar listing of activities, flowsheets, synopses and care paths that may be of particular relevance to prescribers.

The "Flowsheets" section of the "Views" Sidebar lists high-impact flowsheets for prescriber workflows.

Norms

Prescribers access and use flowsheets primarily to review information entered by others. However, flowsheets for symptom, sign and chronic disease tracking may be both viewed and updated by prescribers. Such flowsheets are commonly presented in a simplified user interface that streamlines data entry. 

Prescribers who enter data to full-function flowsheets with the flowsheets activity should be mindful of Connect Care documentation norms, particularly concerning appropriate use of flowsheet macros. 

• Norms: Documentation - Nursing and Allied Health (see section on flowsheet macros starting ~p.20)

Demonstration

• • Demo: Flowsheet Documentation

Resources

• • Guide: Flowsheet Documentation (detailed with emphasis on many nursing uses)