These structured reports are used to record key clinical information in a systematic way based on the latest evidence about best practices. Clinicians report that synoptic reporting helps give them confidence that they have captured the data correctly and completely, as well as that key information about a patient’s health and health care is available to other care givers. For example, cancer surgeons and pathologists have used structured clinical reports to great effect in supporting quality improvement and continued learning.
Clinical Synoptic Reporting in the ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge
Definition of a Qualifying Solution
A qualifying solution enables regulated health professionals to create structured reports to be used by other clinicians for patient care. A synoptic report uses a standardized nomenclature (e.g. SNOMED CT), a set of universally required findings based on best evidence, and a consistent report structure. The reports must be driven by evidence-based, provincial, national or international clinical guidelines. To qualify for the Challenge, the structured reports must be used for direct patient care (i.e. to share information with other clinicians caring for the patient); be signed-off by a regulated health professional; and be part of the patient’s health record.
How Momentum is Counted for Clinical Synoptic Reporting
Momentum definition: Momentum is the per cent increase over the baseline of the total number of regulated health professionals who have contributed to at least one complete clinical synoptic report using the Team’s solution.
Users: A user is a regulated health professional who has contributed to at least one complete clinical synoptic report using the Team’s solution. A health professional who has accessed a report completed by someone else does not qualify to be included in a Team’s count.
Momentum calculation: [(Total number of regulated health professionals that have used the Team’s solution at least once by the end of the reporting period – baseline)/ baseline] * 100,
where the baseline is the total number of users at the time the Team submitted their qualification materials or 5, whichever is greater.
How Volume Is Counted for Clinical Synoptic Reporting
Volume is the total number of completed clinical synoptic reports created using the Team’s solution and signed-off by a regulated health professional during the relevant reporting period. Each completed report is counted only once. A report must be created and signed-off during the reporting period to be counted in the Team’s totals.
Teams that qualify after December 31, 2011 begin counting as of the first month in which they qualify to participate in the challenge (e.g. if a team qualifies February 20th, they report data for the entire month of February).
