Clinics: measurement trends

The Trends tab of a patient file charts the numeric measurements recorded at their visits, such as weight, blood pressure and blood sugar. A doctor sees at a glance where each measurement is heading, without opening the visits one by one.

Before you start

• The clinic has numeric visit fields. See Visit fields and medical info.
• Measurements are recorded at visits. A measurement's chart shows once it has at least two readings in the chosen period.
• You can open patient files: an administrator, or a role with "Clinic: open patient files".

Open the trends

1. Open Patients, then the patient's file.
2. Select the Trends tab.
3. Choose the Period (1): 3 months, 6 months, 12 months or All. It opens on 6 months.

Read the chips

Each measurement has a chip (2) with its name and latest value, and underneath the change since the previous visit with an arrow and unit: ↑ up, ↓ down, = no change. For example "↓ 0.2 kg" for weight.

• The latest value and the change are worked out over the patient's whole history, not just the chosen period.
• BMI shows as a chip too, worked out from the weight and height at each visit where both were recorded.
• A measurement whose field was deleted stays visible with its history, marked Deleted field.

The charts

• Below the chips is a chart for each measurement (3), one point per visit, oldest first.
• Click a chip to hide or show its chart and focus on what matters. Every measurement is shown at first.
• A two-number measurement, such as blood pressure, is drawn as two lines: the first and the second.
• From a point on the chart, select Open visit to go to that visit on the Visits tab.

If nothing shows

You see "Not enough measurements in this period. A chart shows once a field has at least two readings." Try a longer period such as All, or check that the visits recorded the measurements in their fields, not in Notes.

Note: dates are on the clinic's clock, and each visit counts on the date in its Visit date. Trends are for follow-up only and never replace the doctor's judgement.