• Alan P Marco, Debra Buchman, and Colleen Lancz.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Ohio, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH 43614-2598, USA. amarco@mco.edu
• J Clin Anesth. 2003 Sep 1; 15 (6): 411-7.

Study ObjectiveTo determine the impact of changes in form design on the capture of administrative and clinical data elements.DesignRandomized retrospective chart review.SettingAcademic health center.PatientsPatients undergoing surgical procedures in the operating rooms at Medical College Hospital.InterventionThe principal intervention was the implementation of a newly designed anesthesiology preoperative evaluation form with the intent to improve data capture.MeasurementsCharts were reviewed for the presence or absence of the following indicators: Addressograph Stamp, Proposed Surgery, Current Medications, Medication Doses/Frequency, Allergies, ASA Physical Status, Anesthesia Plan, Attending Note, and fasting (NPO) Status.Main ResultsCompletion of Proposed Surgery and ASA Physical Status was lower for the structured form. Completion of Attending Notes was higher with the new form. Medication Doses were more often completed, but they remained below desired levels on the new form.ConclusionsDesign of a form can have a significant impact on the completion rate of form elements. Visual cues such as a labeled space for medication doses may improve the completion of these elements. Design layout can also have an influence on completion. In this case, changes to the layout may have impeded the completion rate for ASA Physical Status.

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