Table 2.

Variation Among Task-Structuring Strategies

Strategy	Degree of Structure	Primary Source of Information	Key Information Acquisition Point(s)	Mechanism for Conducting Encounter	Management of Encounter	Time Orientation
Sticky note	High	Electronic medical record	Before clinic, beginning of the day, plan is made for the patient encounter based on the chief complaint.	Using sticky note list, previsit plan is instituted	Previsit plan is implemented; sticks to the recorded chief complaint and physician-planned list of issues	Regimented and stays on time
Template	Medium	Written templates	Continuous	Physician maintains binder with management templates based on age, sex, and disease status	Follows anticipated template	Regimented and stays on time
Familiar and fast	Low	Physician memory	During patient encounter from the patient	Mental processing using own memory and input from the patient	Attentional surplus used to address problems of limited nature, reschedule for complex issues	Rapid processing, with flexibility in agenda, but stays on time
Doorstep planning	Medium	Chart	Before patient encounter	Mental tally of agenda is organized	Patient’s complaints are first elicited and than addressed	Clock is a guide, goes over- time if particularly important patient care is needed
			Scan chart outside the examination room
Now or never	Low	All available sources eg, chart, WIC, social worker, clinic nurse, family or friend, etc	Continuous	Iterative list of needs based on information gathered before and during the encounter	Proactive with expectation for comprehensively addressing care needs	Flexible with no time constraints, though time intensive for the patient

WIC = Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.