Where’s my Logbook?

Surgical trainees already have an e- logbook that has been designed by clinicians, for clinicians.

A logbook is essential for a surgical trainee. But development of skills in certain procedures is also important for many medical specialities eg Bronchoscopies, Endoscopy, Angiography. Most trainees resort to creating an excel spreadsheet that is then uploaded to the “personal library” section. This is very dis-satisfying as in order to update it a whole new file has to be uploaded. It is also difficult for assessors to find and view, and so is often never looked at, with a cursory “how many Bronchs have you done?” being asked at ARCP. An ideal situation would be a page where you could rapidly add a procedure list or individual procedure with data fields for patient no, procedure, and comments (which would be flexible in allowing reflection on any difficulties or complications; or key learning points).

The surgeons even have an app which allows offline data entry and synching with the main site; is encrypted; and can be backed up. It has it’s problems, most notably the fact that it is only available for iPhone, but it is leagues ahead of anything on offer for physicians.

Come on, if the surgeons can do it….

2 responses to “Where’s my Logbook?

  1. The NES eportfolio (ie the one used by physicians) has the facility to create logbooks, or keep track of procedural skills. It is used by other eportfolio users, eg the RCPI. If we don’t have access to the facility, it’s because the RCP don’t know about it, don’t want it, or won’t pay for it!

  2. eLogbook is fantastic. ISCP is awful. ISCP was so awful and found no one using their primary colours logbook for the under tens that they dumped it and moved to eLogbook. Forcing hundreds of trainees to re-enter information. Despite it being a blatant copy of eLogbook.

    Haruumph!

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