Good problem list management involves curating the problem list to keep entries current and relevant. Clinicians may wonder how best to remove a problem from the list. Problems can be:
- Inactivated: Signifying that the problem is no longer a focus of attention for the current encounter, but requires subsequent follow-up or chronic disease management.
- Resolved: Signifying that the problem has been satisfactorily dealt with but should be listed among the resolved problems for the current encounter.
- Deleted: Signifying both resolution of the problem and little anticipated ongoing attention to the associated health condition.
Once the different pathways to problem list cleaning are understood, the associated tools are easy to use.