How to Organize Medical Clinic Charts

An organized medical chart will save the doctors valuable time when they meet with a patient. It also makes it easier for the billing and accounting departments to do what they need to do. Understanding the best way to organize medical clinic charts will help the clinic run much more smoothly.

Keeping well organized charts saves everyone time. The doctor won't have to search through tons of paperwork to see a patient history. The front office staff will be able to easily identify items in the chart that may be of value for each visit. Staying organized only takes a few minutes for each patient.

• Keep the paperwork divided out. Each chart should be split in to different sections that are easy to navigate. Lab work and other clinical workups should be easy to locate. Patient information should be kept in a separate area so the billing department can easily look it up if they need it. Appointments, follow ups and other things that are scheduled in the future should be in yet another area. A section for miscellaneous paperwork should also be included. This can be used for work release forms and other notes that may not fit in to a different category.


• Clearly label all the sections on each chart. Tab dividers work well for this. You may want to consider using a color coding system and having each file follow the same format. This makes it easier for everyone.


• Create storage space for you to file the charts alphabetically. Many offices use a multiple filing system. Charts that haven't been used in a year or more can be moved to another storage area to keep the active files easier to access.