Overdue items
Overdue items are follow-ups, referrals, or recalls that are past their due time. Keeping them visible is a patient-safety habit.
Purpose
Make sure nothing that matters is quietly forgotten.
What can become overdue
- Follow-up tasks — results to chase, checks to arrange.
- Recalls — patients due to return.
- Referrals — referrals not yet completed or sent.
Staying on top of them
Review overdue items regularly
Build a habit — for example, a start-of-day and end-of-day check.
Triage by clinical importance
Deal with the most clinically significant items first.
Action or reschedule
Complete the item, or deliberately reschedule it with a new due time — don’t just ignore it.
⚕️
Overdue clinical follow-ups can be a safety risk. Treat an overdue result or recall as something to actively resolve, not background noise.
Whose responsibility?
Depending on your clinic, overdue items may be shared between clinicians and staff. Make sure your clinic is clear on who watches what, so nothing falls between roles. See Users & permissions.
Common mistakes
- Letting overdue items pile up until they’re unmanageable.
- Assuming someone else is watching a shared list.
- Dismissing overdue items without actually resolving them.
Troubleshooting
- Overdue items not showing? Confirm tasks and recalls were created with due times, and check your access level.