Structured notes vs free dictation
Do structured notes improve quality, or do they slow doctors down?
Structured notes are useful when the structure matches the consultation. They become painful when every patient forces the same irrelevant fields.
For brief GP encounters, speed matters. I would rather dictate naturally and have structure applied intelligently than fill a form after every consultation.
ENT follow-up can be very structured, but the meaningful finding is often specific. A rigid template makes the note look complete while hiding the important nuance.
Microdoc is interesting because I can dictate naturally and still get a draft that reads like a clinic note rather than a transcript.
For handover and follow-up, structure is very helpful. I want diagnosis, medications, plan, and safety-netting easy to find.
The input method should not feel like data entry. If the structure appears after dictation, doctors are more likely to use it.
Consistent notes are easier to turn into letters. With pure free dictation, every consultant has a different order and I spend time moving sections around.
Microdoc helps when the draft already separates history, impression, and plan. I can still preserve the consultant's phrasing.
Psychiatry notes need narrative. A template can strip out the logic of the assessment if it is too rigid.
I would evaluate any tool by whether it supports narrative reasoning while still making risk, plan, and follow-up clear.
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