Assessing and Updating Conditions
Introduction
Tracking patient progress over time requires regular updates to existing conditions. This article explains how to assess conditions, document changes in patient status, and review comprehensive condition histories in Canvas Medical.
User's Guide
Adding an Assessment
The Assess Condition command updates and documents progress for existing conditions.
To assess a condition:
Add the Assess Condition command to a new or existing note through one of the following
Add the Assess Condition command directly to a new or existing note
Hover over the condition in the Patient Summary and click Assess
If the cursor is not positioned in a note before clicking Assess, a Chart Review note will be created to store the command.
Complete the fields within the command
Background: Carries forward automatically from the condition's current background. Update if necessary.
Status: Select the current condition status:
🟢 Improved
🔘 Unchanged
🔴 Deteriorated
Today's Assessment: Update observations made at the current visit based on condition status
Click Record to update the patient's record
How a Condition's Background Stays Current
A condition carries a background of its own, and that background follows the most recent assessment of the condition. Recording an assessment with background details updates the condition to match, so the next Assess Condition command starts from what was most recently documented rather than from the original diagnosis.
Key points:
The condition is first given the background entered on the command that recorded it, whether that was Diagnose or Add Condition
Each recorded assessment that includes background supersedes it
Entering an assessment in error steps the background back to the assessment before it. Entering the only assessment in error restores the background the condition was recorded with.
Using Carry Forward
To transfer data from a previous Diagnose or Assess Condition command:
Click the triple dot menu on the new Assess Condition command
Select Carry Forward from the dropdown
Matching fields from the previous command will replicate in the new command
Any new information entered will overwrite existing content, ensuring the record stays current for the next carry forward.
Viewing Condition History
Clicking on a condition in the Patient Summary opens a modal with comprehensive historical information.
To review condition details:
Navigate to the Patient Summary which is the left panel of the patient's chart.
Click any condition to open the modal
The modal displays:
Background: Most recent and historically documented background information
Associated Medications: Medications where this condition is listed as an indication
Labs and Imaging Orders: Orders that reference this condition as an indication
Assessments: Complete history of all assessments in reverse chronological order, including condition changes or resolutions
Each timeline entry links directly to the originating command in the patient's chart.
Understanding Timeline Behavior After Diagnosis Changes
When a diagnosis is changed using the Change Diagnosis command, Canvas creates specific timeline behaviors to maintain accurate historical records.
Original Diagnosis Timeline:
Change Diagnosis automatically resolves the original condition and the modal will display "Change of diagnosis to [new diagnosis and ICD-10]"
Clicking the resolved condition in the modal timeline will link to the Change Diagnosis command
The modal timeline displays all assessment history up until the diagnosis change
Lab and imaging orders appear only if their ICD indication code matches the original diagnosis
The modal timeline will not include assessments made after the diagnosis was changed
New Condition Timeline:
The modal timeline shows complete assessment history from both the original and new conditions
First assessment entry displays: "Change of diagnosis from [original diagnosis and ICD-10]"
Clicking the first assessment entry links to the Change Diagnosis command
Lab and imaging orders appear only if their ICD indication code matches the new diagnosis
The modal timeline does not display the resolve event that occurred for the original diagnosis
Configuration & Set Up
No special configuration is required. The Assess Condition command and condition history modals are available by default in all patient charts.
FAQ & Troubleshooting
Q: How do I access the condition timeline?
A: Click on any condition in the Patient Summary to open a modal that displays the comprehensive timeline, background information, associated medications, and all historical assessments.
Q: Why doesn't my new assessment show the previous background information?
A: Background carries forward from the condition's current background, which follows the most recent assessment of it. If nothing appears, neither the command that recorded the condition nor any assessment since included background details.
Q: What happens to the background if I enter an assessment in error?
A: The condition's background steps back to the assessment before the one entered in error. If it was the only assessment, the background returns to what the condition was recorded with.
Q: What happens when I change a diagnosis?
A: The Change Diagnosis command creates a new condition with the updated diagnosis while preserving historical data from the original condition. The original condition is resolved with a note indicating the change, and the new condition includes the full assessment history from both diagnoses.
Related Resources
Keywords: assess condition, condition history, patient progress, condition status, clinical documentation, timeline, carry forward, assessment history, background
Categories: Clinical Documentation, Condition Management