Previous consults
A patient’s previous consultations give you continuity — what was found, what was planned, and what’s still outstanding.
Purpose
Understand where a patient’s care is up to before and during a consultation.
What previous consults show
- The timeline of past encounters.
- Each consultation’s note and outcome.
- Outstanding actions — plans in progress, pending results, or follow-ups. See Follow-up tasks.
Using them well
Skim recent consults before you start
Look for continuity: ongoing issues, recent changes, and anything you agreed to review.
Check outstanding actions
See what’s still open — referrals in progress, results awaited, or recalls due.
Carry forward deliberately
If something from a previous consult belongs in today’s note, bring it in deliberately and verify it — don’t assume it’s still current.
Past notes are a record of what was true then. Confirm anything still clinically relevant with the patient today rather than assuming it holds.
Privacy
Reviewing previous consults is accessing the clinical record — only do so with a legitimate reason. Access is logged. See Audit trail.
Common mistakes
- Assuming an old plan or medication is still current.
- Missing an outstanding action from a previous consult.
Troubleshooting
- Previous consults missing or incomplete? See Missing patient context.