1. Medical Office Filing

2. Keeping Records Current
Never Procrastinate!!!
File Daily!!!
Make certain the physician has received all abnormal lab reports and urgent messages.

3. Filing Procedures Conditioning Releasing Indexing and Coding Sorting
Storing and Filing

4. Conditioning Removing all pins, brads, paper clips and stray staples
Staple together related papers
Attaching clippings or items smaller than page size to a regular sheet of paper
Mending damaged records

5. Releasing
Simply that some mark has been placed on the paper indicating that it is now ready for filing.
Often in the upper left corner or area that will not be seen after record is bound
Be consistent

6. Indexing and Coding
Indexing: deciding where to file the letter or paper
Coding: placing some indication of the decision on the paper
This may be done by underlining the name or subject
Every paper filed in a patient’s chart should have the name of the patient and date on it.

7. Sorting Arranging the papers in filing sequence
Do this before going to the filing cabinet
Sorters are very convenient for this purpose.

8. Filing Methods
Alphabetic
Numeric
Subject
Color Coded

9. Numeric Filing Most often used by large clinics or hospitals
This is an indirect filing system requiring the use of an alphabetic cross-referencing system.
Allows for unlimited expansion without shifting records.
Provides additional confidentiality
Saves time in filing and retrieving records.

10. Subject Filing
All papers dealing with a particular subject are filed together.
Most often used for general correspondence.

11. Alphabetic Filing This is the oldest and simplest way to file
Usually system of choice in the majority of physician’s offices
This is a direct filing system: the person only needs to know the name in order to find the file desired.
As files expand, more time is required for filing and retrieving each folder due to the volume of folders involved in the search.
Time can be reduced by color coding

12. Color-Coding
A specific color is used for each letter of the alphabet and each number.
Misfiled folders are kept to a minimum
Misfilings are easily spotted even from several feet away

13. Indexing Rules Indexing Rules are standardized
Last name is first in filing
First name is second (also called given name)
Middle name or initial is third
These are considered three distinct units
Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3
Smith John P.

14. Indexing Rules Initials precede a name beginning with the same letter.
Example: Smith, J.
Smith, Jason

15. Indexing Rules
Hyphenated personal names are considered to be one unit.
Example: Cindy-Jean Green is filed
as Green, Cindyjean
Sarah Jones-Smith is filed
as Jonessmith, Sarah

16. Indexing Rules
Names with prefixes are filed in usual alphabetic order.
The prefix is now considered as part of the name
Example: Theodore von Schmidt is filed
as Vonschmidt, Theodore

17. Indexing Rules
Abbreviated parts of a name are indexed as written if that is the form generally used by that person
Example: Wm. John Carlisle is filed
as Carlisle, Wmjohn

18. Indexing Rules
Mac and Mc are filed in their regular place in the alphabet.
If an office contains a large number of these names they may file them separately for convenience.

19. Indexing Rules
Titles, when followed by a complete name, may be used as the last filing unit
Example: Dr. James D. Conley is filed
as Conley, James D Dr.
Titles without complete names are considered the first indexing unit
Example: Mother Theresa is filed
as Mother Theresa

20. Indexing Rules
Terms of seniority, or professional or academic degree, are used only to distinguish from an identical name
Example: Ted Wilson, PhD
Ted Wilson, Sr.
Ted Wilson, Jr.
Ted Wilson, MD
These would be filed in the following order:
Wilson, Ted Jr.
Wilson, Ted MD.
Wilson, Ted PhD
Wilson, Ted Sr.

21. Indexing Rules Articles such as The and A are disregarded in indexing
Example: Moore Clinic (The)