Patient care is the primary responsibility of nurses, doctors and other members of the healthcare team. Error-free medical records are indispensable for appropriate patient care, and hospitals usually ensure accurate transcripts of physicians’ notes with the support of medical transcription services. Collaboration between physicians and nurses is beneficial for patients as it can provide greater communication, coordination of care and patient-centered decision making. One way to promote this type of team-based care is by conducting bedside rounds. Patient rounds are multidisciplinary rounds that involve visiting a patient at their bedside. Generally, doctors along with nurses and medical students participate in the bedside rounds. They discuss intensively with each other and other health team members the results of x-rays, CT scans, electrocardiograms, blood and urine tests conducted on a patient. Note taking is often an important constituent of such visits, and if these are recorded they are later transcribed accurately to ensure more clarity and detail. Doctors’ and nurses’ notes are transcribed in-house in the hospital’s transcription department or outsourced to a medical transcription company for accurate documentation.
Key Benefits of Multidisciplinary Rounds
- Multidisciplinary rounds are an excellent way to improve throughput, patient satisfaction, and reduce length of stay and re-admissions.
- Effective communication is the key to patient safety. Communication between healthcare professionals that is made possible by these rounds helps to reduce mistakes and confusion regarding a patient’s treatment plans.
- It ensures that expectations are met and the treatment planned is optimal.
- Working together at the patient’s bedside ensures safe and timely discharge of the patient.
- Bedside rounding provides a good learning experience to healthcare providers. Especially medical students who participate in these rounds learn more about a disease, the various remedies available and the best strategies for providing excellent patient care. This benefits both the learners and future patients.
- It helps in proper and effective utilization of available resources.
Things to Consider While Conducting Bedside Rounds
- Multidisciplinary rounds should have clear goals, structure and leadership.
- The patient and family should be engaged in the process.
- Patient goals should be set daily.
- Outcomes of the multidisciplinary rounds process should be measured.
According to research reported in HealthcarePapers, efficient teamwork greatly benefits doctors, their peers and patients. The workplace becomes more exciting and productive, safety issues are reduced and retention rates increase.
Teamwork is important in all partnerships. Good teamwork between doctors and medical transcription service providers helps in the preparation of accurate medical records. Day-to-day medical documentation is the basis on which a patient gets continued treatment from his/her physicians. That is why timely and proper medical documentation is crucial for better patient care.
