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Helping Hands-On Health Care Professionals
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Upcoming Events with Dr. Armstrong

Check out the course offerings here
NEW COURSE OFFERING!
 Clinical Record Keeping 101 for Natural Health Practitioners
If you are building a new practice or already established, better record keeping will make you a better practitioner – no matter which modalities you employ.
$99
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Dr. Dawn Armstrong is a Chiropractor who has been practicing full-time in Canada for over 35 years.

She has also spent decades educating patients, health care professionals and the community at large — teaching, speaking and writing about anatomy and physiology and alternative health care.

In 2012, she survived an official audit of her patient records — barely!
The experience was rather humbling but — when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

She began her search for some practical guidance around Clinical Record Keeping for hands-on health care practices. What she found was a depressing mix of bad news and very little helpful advice.

There are endless lists of what we should be doing for Record Keeping but not much guidance on how to actually do it effectively and efficiently.

She discovered that professional associations and health ministries worldwide have serious concerns about health care records.
Far too many practitioners keep patient files that are illegible, illogical and utterly inadequate.
Why? Practitioners say they don’t have the time to keep record of everything that they’re 'supposed to' document.

Dr. Armstrong had an epiphany.
She realized that in a patient-centered world, keeping good clinical files shouldn't be viewed as a chore imposed on us by the government or the insurance companies.
She recognized that a patient's file represents a potential gold mine of opportunities.

Good patient records are the only real proof that high-quality care is being delivered to our patients. Our success as individual practitioners (and entire professions) depends on them — Evidence Based Care is the future.
Record keeping is more than daily SOAP notes, so much more.

Good record keeping is the very best way to stay organized and connected to others in the health care community. It is an excellent tool for marketing and clinical research and the most important gift you can ever give your patients.

Over the past 5 years, Dr. Armstrong has delved deep into the world of Clinical Record Keeping for hands-on health care providers. Her passion for the subject has only grown. She has made it her mission to share her insights and inspire other practitioners to embrace record keeping as a valuable tool for educating the world.

She has developed a course :
Clinical Record Keeping: A Hands-On Approach
There is an On-line version (12 modules) and an In-Person version (6 hours).

Whether you use paper files or electronic methods, the rules are the same.

    ▪ You need to understand how to find/construct the best forms.
    ▪ You need to know why you need to know what you need to know.
    ▪ You need to appreciate how you can use paperwork to market your practice and bolster your professional credibility

To contact Dr W D Armstrong call +1 (250) 465 8482 or via this email address

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WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

You have a busy practice or you are working hard to build one. Since you graduated from college you find yourself more and more focused on treating your patients and less and less enthusiastic about keeping clinical notes.

Your record keeping has become an inconvenient burden.
'Do I have to?'
Or, the source of brief twinges of guilt and self-loathing.
'I should do more, I could do better, but…..'

Maybe the forms you use in your office aren't quite cutting it. You're not 100% sure that you consistently document all of the required facts.

Do you worry about an audit of your records? What if a lawyer requests a copy of a patient’s file and a detailed report on their status?
Are you confident that your notes will adequately demonstrate that you are good at what you do?

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Did You Know?

    ▪ A custom-made intake form is a great way to educate new patients.

    ▪ A good history form can help you stay focused on the patient’s needs and safety.

    ▪ Clear, concise ongoing treatment notes lead to excellence in patient management; its all about continuity of care.

    ▪ A written report of findings is the simplest way to advertise your unique expertise.

In developing her courses, Dr. Armstrong has distilled the essentials of

    ▪ Customizing forms for ease of use — Be sure to collect ALL the important details

    ▪ Establishing good habits — You can start with your very next new patient!

    ▪ Marketing your services — Do it ethically and professionally with the right forms

With her patient-centered coursework, you will be better equipped to take a more critical view of your own record keeping and you will take away some effective tools to help you keep notes you can be proud of.

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WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR PROFESSION

Can you imagine a not-so-distant future where Hands-On Health Care will be the first choice of treatment for pain — and drugs will be used as a last resort? This future is possible if (and only if) we are able to deliver Evidence Based Care.

Like all 'drugless practitioners', Dr. Armstrong has long been an advocate of safe, effective and accessible care for patients who are suffering with pain and dysfunction.

She shares this passion with our colleagues who have taken on the role of College Regulators. Their #1 goal is patient safety, too. They also want evidence of our effectiveness — in order to raise the status of non-medical care and advocate for better funding.

Our governing bodies encourage life-long learning, promote clinical research and educate stakeholders. They also set the bar high for keeping patient records. They do this because issues such as 'Consent to Care' and 'Conducting a Comprehensive Health History' are essential to the safety of our patients.

In order to ensure public safety, regulatory bodies need to assess competency. Clinical Records are the only objective proof that a practitioner has proceeded in a manner that is appropriate and safe.

It is important to recognize that high standards are in everyone’s interest. A profession’s reputation can take a long time to polish — don’t let it be tarnished by inattention to record keeping, because it is the best tool we have to prove that we do good work!

You have a vested interest in the success of your profession. You have a stake in the future of health care in your community and you are also a strong advocate for safe, effective care that is available to everyone.

The first step in this long journey is to make a personal commitment to improve your record keeping.

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There’s also much more you can do:

    ▪ Learn about PBOAI's — These are special intake forms that have gained traction in health care research. They are used to document an individual patient’s progress and assess outcomes of population based clinical trials. Utilize these tools to write up Case Histories with more confidence, or get involved with clinical research in a more formal way.

    ▪ Customize Your History & Physical Exam Forms — This is the best way to ensure comprehensiveness.

    ▪ Review Your Understanding of Truly Informed Consent — This is one of the most important parts of a patient's file from a medico-legal standpoint.

Dr. Armstrong would encourage you to support your professional associations and colleges in their efforts to ensure high standards. You can make better record keeping the next step in your quest for personal competency and professional success.

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