Primary Care Provider Perspectives on APSO Note Templates at the University of Vermont Health Network

Authors

Anna Landis, The University of VermontFollow
Hayden Christensen, The University of VermontFollow
Alicia Jacobs MD, University of Vermont Health NetworkFollow
Rachel McEntee MD, University of Vermont Health NetworkFollow
Marie Sandoval MD, University of Vermont Health NetworkFollow
Sean Maloney MD, University of Vermont Health NetworkFollow

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2023

Focus Area

Medical Practice Transformation

Abstract

Introduction:

Effective documentation of patient encounters stands as a cornerstone of medicine. However, charting burden contributes to provider burnout. The SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) note is considered the historical standard for capturing clinical information, but recently, the APSO (Assessment, Plan, Subjective, Objective) format emerged as a novel approach. We investigate Primary Care providers’ experiences with the newly introduced UVMHN APSO note template.

Methods:

Data was anonymously collected from UVMHN General Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics providers utilizing a REDCap survey and analyzed using Excel and SPSS.

Results:

45 of 241 providers queried responded (18.6%). Among APSO note authors (n=30), 90% found charting easy/very easy, with 80% remarking that switching to the APSO format was easy/very easy. Further, 78.57% of APSO note readers (n=39) reported less time browsing APSO notes compared to SOAP. Authors largely found similar time charting with APSO compared to SOAP (73.33%). 84% of APSO readers and 90% of APSO authors reported satisfaction with the template.

Discussion:

High satisfaction was found among respondents. Users find the format very easy to switch to and use, while consumers are pleased with the speed and ease of parsing clinical data, illustrating the ability of APSO templates to streamline visits. However, authors indicated little improvement in time spent charting. More work is required, including quantitative analysis of time spent charting, to examine the efficacy of the note template in improving provider workplace satisfaction. This study was limited by a low response rate and lack of quantitative information to confirm subjective responses.

Comments

AHEC Scholars Summer Project

Poster presented at ACP Vermont Chapter Annual Scientific Meeting on Friday, September 29, 2023.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Landis, Anna; Christensen, Hayden; Jacobs, Alicia MD; McEntee, Rachel MD; Sandoval, Marie MD; and Maloney, Sean MD, "Primary Care Provider Perspectives on APSO Note Templates at the University of Vermont Health Network" (2023). UVM AHEC. 10.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/uvmahec/10