Thread by @akhadilkarMD

I had the opportunity to round this weekend with my attending 1:1 for Cardiology Consults.

Here are some thoughts on ways to make rounds more efficient and effective. These skills can be applied at all levels from intern to fellow.

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Remember, in most situations, attending physicians are going to arrive to rounds before chart-checking or pre-rounding.

It is your responsibility to prepare beforehand and gather as much relevant information as possible (chart checking, talking to patients).

1) Anticipate ?:
- When you present, try to anticipate & answer questions the attending may have.
- I.e. know baseline lab values, home medications, ER course, new medications started.
- The less questions the attending has after you present, the better story you have provided

2) Review Imaging:
- If possible, print out EKG for cardiology rounds. This is much faster to review than logging in to the computer.
- It shows your attending that you are prepared and makes them incentivized to teach.
- Can use same approach w/ CXR or CT by pulling them up

3) Know Patient's Story:
- Remember the acute presentation is a snapshot in time.
- It is helpful to review their outpatient PCP notes, recent discharge summaries, and consultant notes. This will give perspective to help make guided decisions and reduce redundant testing.

4) Call Family Members:
- Many times, you need to call family members to obtain collateral information/understand goals of care. These conversations take time.
- If you are able to have discussions independently beforehand, the second call with the attending will be much faster.

5) Travel Route:
- Try to figure out the order of patients you are going to see when rounding.
- Ask yourself: Are all the patients in the same wing? Are patients still in the ER or moved to a new room?
- If you take a few minutes to plan the order, you will be more efficient.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you find this helpful and share any other comments below!