[Implementation of an electronic patient record. Experience in an interdisciplinary pain clinic]

A complex electronic patient record was implemented in an interdisciplinary pain clinic. The goal was to create a tool that would allow structured access to the entries made by all specialty groups and permit data analysis for statistical and scientific purposes by means of integrated, coded fields. An electronic workflow was developed to facilitate the processing of documents. All entries dictated were converted to digital form and recorded directly into the electronic chart. Additional features included a structured medication list and a connection to the hospital's pre-existing electronic records. The various elements to be included in the chart were determined by an interdisciplinary team and progressively implemented using a commercially available system as a basis. In conclusion, implementation of a complex electronic patient record provides a valuable instrument for quality control, interdisciplinary collaboration and improved efficiency in a large, multimodal pain clinic.