[...]... records 18 Clinical skills in context Record Keeping Setting up a personal health record Recording assessment and intervention Writing treatment objectives and out­ comes Dealing with discharge Letters and Reports Definitions Preparing, planning and drafting documents Summaries of key content for common types of letters and reports Information Leaflets for Clients Preparing your material Delivering the... The informa­ tion contained within it helps the clinician in establishing the needs of the client and identifying appropriate intervention, whether that is medical treatment, therapy or nursing care à To ensure continuity of care 21 22 WRITING SKILLS IN PRACTICE Clinical notes provide a way for colleagues to share information They are a record of the current situation with the client, and contain the... your material Delivering the message Writing for special client groups Producing your material Evaluation of materials 19 1 Writing for Clinical Practice Purpose of Written Material Writing is one of the principal modes of communication in any health or­ ganisation It is used to convey information both within the health team, and from the team to clients, other professionals and organisations, hence... text is also more inviting to the reader ° Accessible This is about making sure that the right people have access to docu­ ments at the right time There is no point having an excellent piece of documentation if it is unavailable PART ONE Writing for Clinical Practice Writing for Clinical Practice An essential but sometimes overlooked component of clini­ cal skills is a competence in writing Written documentation... used to increase awareness of services that are directed at specific client groups, for example a family planning service for teenagers à To involve the client, family and carers in policy making More initiatives are being taken to involve users in policy making for health services in the future In order for these users to be effective in making contributions, they need to know something about the health. .. understand the health care process 26 WRITING SKILLS IN PRACTICE Information that helps orientate the client is easily presented in a written form, which can be sent prior to the client’s appointment It might include details such as: ° ° ° ° ° location and transport arrangements clinic contact numbers instructions for making and attending appointments the names of key members of the health care team... about the incidence and prevalence of certain diseases in different population groups à To provide an effectively managed service Not all of the ways in which client information is used are directly clinical in nature The data contained in health records is also of im­ portance in achieving effective health care administration (NHS Ex­ ecutive 19 99) – so the recording of client contacts delivered by extra... models provide the health professional with a guide about how to cluster and order information However, within these frameworks there will still be a need for the clinician to give some consideration to organising clinical notes 32 WRITING SKILLS IN PRACTICE into a rational and logical sequence A general principle is that entries are recorded consecutively, and recording sheets are filed in chrono­ logical... Auditing notes will help to indicate whether guidelines and standards relating to clinical prac­ tice are applied consistently by the health professional Comparisons can also be made between members in a team and between different teams à To support the clinician’s clinical decision making Clinical records at their most basic level are an aide-mémoire – a reminder to the clinician of the pertinent... not left feeling there is something missing ° Concise The reader will want to access the key points with the minimum amount of effort Writing therefore needs to be concise and extrane­ ous material removed ° Relevant The information contained in the message must be consistent with both the writer’s intention and the requirements of the reader ° Appropriate in tone The tone of the writing must be compatible . Two: Writing for Teaching and Learning 11 9 7 Writing as an Aid to Learning 12 3 8 Preparing Materials for Teaching 14 0 Teaching and Learning Skills in Context: 9 Note-taking 15 3 10 Essays 16 7. 9 .1 Sequential notes 15 6 Figure 9.2 Spider web notes 15 8 Figure 9.3 Pattern notes 16 0 Figure 11 .1 A mind map 18 9 Figure 13 .1 A vertical bar chart 212 Figure 13 .2 A horizontal bar chart 212 . w0 h0" alt="" Writing Skills in Practice of related interest Communication Skills in Practice A Practical Guide for Health Professionals Diana Williams ISBN 1 85302 232 2 Information and