Spiraling
As a primary care physician, I like my patients’ charts to be updated, without redundant or irrelevant information. So, before initial appointments with patients I “inherited” when I joined my current practice, I take some time to “clean up their chart.”
When patients have complex medical histories and medication lists, cleanup is challenging. But worth it. This process helps me build a two-dimensional picture of the patient, their disease trajectory, relationship with specialists, and longitudinal overall health. When I meet the patient, I can then focus on listening and observing and understanding them three-dimensionally.