Benefits of an electronic consultation-liaison note system: better notes faster.

Objective: The authors determined the efficiency of electronic documentation in consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Method: An electronic note system was customized for a psychiatric consultation note. Specific attention given to common diagnoses permitted rapid documentation.

Results: Residents learned the system quickly. The standardized nature of the system ensured thorough documentation. Notes were immediately available and more legible. A survey indicated that this system was well received and saved time. Among the eight residents who used both handwriting and typing, an estimated average of 17.5 minutes per note was saved by typing.

Conclusions: This program had clear benefits in reinforcing more complete documentation.