If you work within the healthcare field, you may be responsible for admitting patients to a healthcare facility. Surprisingly, there are numerous responsibilities involved and patients cannot be allowed to enter, until they’ve been examined thoroughly. This is why many hospitals use the ROS, or review of systems, technique. With the review of system checklist, you’ll be able to analyze the patient’s condition and note anything out of the ordinary, so corrective actions can be carried out immediately.
How It Works
In most cases, it is impossible to run each patient through an x-ray or give everyone a blood test upon their arrival. Instead, the ROS works to identify problems based on subjective symptoms. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services current recognizes 14 systems and each has associated symptoms. For instance, rapid and unexplained weight loss is considered a constitutional symptom. Visual changes and headaches could be associated with the eyes.
Its Purpose
Although the ROS might seem incomprehensible to outsiders, it is very beneficial for doctors and nurses. The document makes it possible for medical professionals to identify and diagnose conditions, which have no effective diagnostic tests. Proper completion and use of the document could very well mean the difference between life and death for some patients.
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