Missing clinical information on patients is common in the United States and may adversely affect the patients' health care, according to a study in JAMA (2005;293:565-71).

The authors, citing an article in the BMJ (1996;313:1062-8), wrote that managing clinical information effectively is an essential part of all medical care. But information on patients such as demographic data, medical history, treatments, test results, and family structure is often unavailable when a doctor greatly needs it, they say.

Peter Smith and colleagues at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center surveyed 253 primary care clinicians during 1614 patients' visits between May and December 2003. For every visit …