What is Signout?
The Signout has a standard universal structure but is implemented in many forms, from dedicated apps to excel spreadsheets. The goals are always the same--to provide a comprehensive but quick view of a patient and the up-to-date status of the hospitalization, including clinical status, relevant test results, and pending test results.
A good Signout document reflects the thought process behind a patient's care. It is a living document, and is therefore always relevant, as opposed to the static H&P and daily progress notes.
Here I outline how the Signout could be the central component of the EMR, with various views of the same fields that are tailored to specific tasks.
