How do you abstract a medical record?
To abstract a medical record, follow these steps:
1. Identify the purpose of the abstraction. What information are you trying to extract from the record? This will help you determine which parts of the record to focus on.
2. Gather the necessary materials. You will need the patient's medical record, a pen or pencil, and a data collection form.
3. Start by reviewing the patient's demographics. This includes information such as the patient's name, age, sex, and race.
4. Next, review the patient's medical history. This includes information about the patient's past illnesses, surgeries, and hospitalizations.
5. Then, review the patient's current medications. This includes information about the name, dosage, and frequency of each medication.
6. Finally, review the patient's current symptoms and physical findings. This information can be found in the patient's progress notes, nursing notes, and laboratory test results.
7. As you review the medical record, abstract the relevant information onto the data collection form. Be sure to include the date and source of the information.
8. Once you have abstracted all of the relevant information, review the data collection form for accuracy and completeness.
9. If you have any questions, be sure to contact the patient's physician or nurse.
Here are some additional tips for abstracting medical records:
* Be organized and efficient. Start by reviewing the most important parts of the record, and then work your way through the rest of the information.
* Be accurate. Make sure that you are extracting the correct information from the record.
* Be complete. Include all of the relevant information that you can find.
* Be confidential. Keep the patient's information confidential.