This is the first release of quickHPI for general use by students, residents and clinicians. It is based on version 1.1 with persistent client-side data storage added. Once installed, it can be used offline when network connectivity is unavailable or undesired.

The purpose of quickHPI is threefold: 1) Provide a practical tool for clinicians; 2) Create a functional expression of the ideas presented here; and 3) Offer a self-directed learning tool for students and residents.

After working with a major EMR product for the past five years one thing has become abundantly clear to me…

IF the medical history is recorded via point-and-click forms, that information should not be obfuscated by “filler” text for the sake of generating a pseudo-narrative note.

QuickHPI was inspired by the well-known problems with forms-based data entry tools in the current generation of electronic medical records (EMRs). I will update the program periodically to reflect qualitative and quantitative evidence when available. (The medical literature is very thin in this regard!) I am also creating several native EMR tools based on this model. These cannot be released on a public website due to our contract with the vendor (Epic). Feel free to contact me with questions, comments, potential collaboration ideas, and constructive criticism: rrathe at ufl dot edu

Problem-Oriented Charting – Each quickHPI session generates an HPI for a single problem. If there are two or more problems you may go through the process as many times as needed. You should avoid duplication as much as possible. The text generated is compatible with SOAP, APSO, H&P, and other problem-oriented note formats.

QuickHPI is both a tutorial and a practical tool for recording the History of Present Illness. As such it has wide applicability in medical education and patient care. The program instantiates my research into best practices for outpatient documentation aka The Rational History of Present Illness.