Is your colleague frowning at your notes?

What your colleagues really think of your notes

When did you last look at a colleague’s case file? Was it easy to follow or did you find yourself frowning at half finished sentences and cryptic shorthand? Did you notice questions you would have asked the patient that they did not?

Believe it or not in that moment you were already cluing into the principles of History Driven Care. You were recognising the gaps and missed opportunities in another clinician’s notes. You were seeing how the story could have been captured more clearly to guide better decisions and outcomes.

But here is the uncomfortable truth. Your colleague will likely feel the same when they look at your notes. Your notes will be biased to the processes of your clinic.

Most case histories are written/typed in the heat of a busy clinic day. They are rushed inconsistent and shaped by individual habits rather than a shared structure. Over time this creates a patchwork of information that is hard to read and even harder to act upon.

History driven care challenges this cycle. It asks us to see case histories not as personal notepads but as shared living tools that help every clinician understand the patient’s journey. When histories are clear structured and connected they become a common language that improves teamwork and ultimately raises the standard of care.

The next time you review a colleague’s case file remember this. If you find it hard to decipher imagine how they might feel reading yours. That moment of reflection could be the first step towards building a future where every patient’s story is captured with clarity and purpose.