Admission note

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Admission Note is a pivotal part of the medical record that chronicles the patient's status encompassing history and physical examination outcomes. This note elucidates the rationale behind the patient's inpatient care admission to a medical facility and lays down preliminary care directives.[1]

Purpose[edit | edit source]

The quintessential role of the admission note is to delineate the reasoning behind a patient's inpatient care admission, detailing their baseline health metrics and initial care recommendations. Health care professionals utilize these notes to document a patient's foundational health state. Subsequent notes, such as on-service notes, progress notes (SOAP notes), preoperative notes, operative notes, postoperative notes, procedure notes, delivery notes, postpartum notes, and discharge notes, might follow. The entirety of these notes forms a significant portion of the medical record. Budding medical practitioners often refine their clinical reasoning skills crafting these admission notes. Conventionally, an "admission" denotes an overnight hospital stay. However, in the realm of the U.S. medical billing, this definition might undergo some modifications due to reimbursement paradigms. These paradigms might influence the distinction between "admission" and "observation", potentially leading to reduced reimbursement rates for the involved "admissions".[2]

Outline[edit | edit source]

An exhaustive admission note might not encompass every component delineated below. Nonetheless, an ideal admission note would encapsulate:

Header[edit | edit source]

  • Identification attributes of the patient:
    • Name
    • ID number
    • Chart number
    • Room assignment
    • Date of birth
    • Primary physician
    • Gender
    • Admission timestamp
  • Current Date
  • Precise Time
  • Applicable Service

Chief Complaint (CC)[edit | edit source]

A concise statement usually spanning a sentence that entails:

  • Age
  • Ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Pertinent complaint
  • For instance: "34 yo Caucasian male showcasing right-side weakness accompanied by speech impediments."

History of Present Illness (HPI)[edit | edit source]

  • Present health metrics
  • Thorough analysis of the chief complaint
  • Relevant symptoms aligned with the provisional diagnosis formulated by the health care provider.
  • Emergency measures and resultant patient responses, if pertinent.

Allergies[edit | edit source]

  • Allergen exposure and ensuing response, sequenced chronologically.

Past Medical History (PMHx)[edit | edit source]

An inventory of the patient's lingering health issues. The chronic ailments should be distinctly labeled as well-managed or otherwise. Relevant timestamps should accompany significant items.

Past Surgical History (PSurgHx, PSxHx)[edit | edit source]

A chronological list of past surgical procedures, with dates for notable events.

Family History (FmHx)[edit | edit source]

Health specifics or cause of demise for:

  • Parents
  • Siblings
  • Offspring
  • Life partner

Social History (SocHx)[edit | edit source]

A segment of the admission note that sheds light on familial, occupational, and recreational facets of the patient's life with potential clinical implications.

Medications[edit | edit source]

Details for each drug include:

Review of Systems (ROS)[edit | edit source]

A comprehensive review spanning multiple systems:

  • General health status
  • And subsequent organ/system-specific reviews...

Physical Examination[edit | edit source]

The Physical examination or clinical examination is the tactile assessment where a health care provider meticulously examines the patient for any indicative signs of underlying disease.

Labs[edit | edit source]

Examples include tests like electrolytes, arterial blood gases, liver function tests, and so forth.

Diagnostics[edit | edit source]

Examples include EKG, CXR, CT, MRI, among others.

Assessment and Plan[edit | edit source]

This section extrapolates on the differential diagnosis with supporting historical data and examination results.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "General Info". Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
Admission note Resources
Doctor showing form.jpg

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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD