Patient assessments are enhanced through vital signs. Vital signs are an important part of the contemporary encounter as well as useful in comparison to historical visits.
Q: How do I capture the patient's BMI within the vitals command?
A: Canvas automatically calculates the patient's BMI when a height and weight are both captured. You can view the result of the BMI on the Vitals table in the patient summary.
Q: What is the best way to capture orthostatic vital signs?
A: It is recommended to enter multiple vitals commands for each set of readings. You can use the notes field for any additional details, such as position in which a series of vital signs occurred.
Q: I made a mistake. How do I remove this command?
A: Commands can be entered in error, but not deleted. Please review the Entering a Command in Error document for directions.
Q: Do I have to complete every field in the vitals command?
A: No. None of the fields are required to submit the command. Input as many details as clinically important to fit your practice and patient needs.
Q: How can I easily review historical results?
A: From within the Patient Summary, you can click on the table to expand the selection. Please review our article about printing the vital sign table.
Begin within the patient note.
Type "vitals" into an open space within the note.
Select the command by pressing Enter on the keyboard or by clicking the selection with your mouse.
Enter the desired input.
Navigate and document in each field of the command by pressing Tab, the following fields are available:
Height
Weight
Waist Circumference
Temperature
Site
Blood Pressure
Position and Site
Pulse Rate
Pulse Rhythm
Respiration Rate
Oxygen Saturation
Notes (150 character limit)
Select RECORD to commit the command.