C Ihrig
Olmsted Center for the Visually Impaired, Low Vision, Buffalo, NY 14209, United States
Does your paperwork reflect how complete and comprehensive your vision rehabilitation evaluation is? Our professional responsibilities are challenged with the amount of time needed to evaluate partially sighted patients and the necessity to properly document all aspects of this specialized and comprehensive evaluation.
Computers allow us to be more efficient. By customizing a working document with basic Microsoft Office software, several drop-down boxes can be created. This saves us time; by having the computer insert information you select, without you having to type every word. By utilizing a computer with Microsoft Office software that includes a word processor (Microsoft Word) and/or a database (Microsoft Access), you can design your own evaluation form.
I have organized 3 levels of creating your own documentation. Level 1, which I will discuss first, utilizes Microsoft Word utilizing the Mail Merge tool. This is the simplest, because it is limited to the number of fields you can utilize with the Mail Merge tool. You are also not able to utilize drop down boxes, as will be discussed in Level 2 and 3. Microsoft Office 2000, for example is limited to 63 or fewer fields. Microsoft Office 97 is limited to 31 or fewer fields.
Level 2, utilizes the Microsoft Access database only. This allows an unlimited amount of fields and has the ability to utilize drop-down boxes. In Level 2, you will send the data to make a form (this is limited, though) within the database.
Level 3, which is more complex, can be customized to merge data from a Microsoft Access database into a Microsoft Word document. This allows the greatest number of forms to be generated from one database per patient. I have utilized this level, to generate: 1) a record that is comprised of 3 pages including a Problem Focused History, Comprehensive Evaluation, and Recommendations; 2) several form letters to referring doctors and/or a local agency; 3) a billing form; and 4) a tracking slip.
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