SOAP Note Creation

This skill provides a reusable pattern for creating structured medical documentation (SOAP notes) by writing all required sections comprehensively in a single file write operation.

When to Use

• Creating clinical documentation for patient visits
• Generate structured medical notes requiring standard SOAP format
• Tasks requiring Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan sections

Core Pattern

Write the complete SOAP note directly to a file in one iteration rather than building it incrementally. Include all four standard sections with comprehensive content.

SOAP Note Structure

1. Subjective (S)

Document patient-reported information:

• Chief Complaint (CC): Primary reason for visit in patient's own words
• History of Present Illness (HPI): Detailed narrative of current symptoms (onset, duration, severity, modifying factors)
• Past Medical History (PMH): Chronic conditions, surgeries, hospitalizations
• Medications: Current prescriptions, OTC drugs, supplements
• Allergies: Drug, food, environmental allergies with reactions
• Family History: Relevant hereditary conditions in family members
• Social History: Occupation, lifestyle, substance use, living situation

2. Objective (O)

Document observable, measurable findings:

• Vital Signs: BP, HR, RR, Temp, SpO2, height, weight, BMI
• General Appearance: Overall presentation, distress level
• Physical Exam by System:
  • HEENT (Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Throat)
  • Cardiovascular
  • Respiratory
  • Gastrointestinal
  • Neurological
  • Musculoskeletal
  • Skin
  • Psychiatric (if applicable)
• Diagnostic Results: Labs, imaging, tests (if available)

3. Assessment (A)

Document clinical reasoning:

• Primary Diagnosis: Main working diagnosis with ICD code if applicable
• Differential Diagnoses: Alternative diagnoses considered
• Clinical Reasoning: Why the primary diagnosis is most likely
• Problem List: Numbered or bulleted active issues

4. Plan (P)

Document management strategy:

• Treatment Plan: Medications, therapies, procedures
• Follow-up: Timing and purpose of next visit
• Patient Education: Counseling provided, instructions given
• Referrals: Specialist consultations if needed
• Order Set: Labs, imaging, tests to be obtained

Implementation Template

# SOAP Note - [Patient Name/ID]
**Date:** [Date of Visit]
**Provider:** [Provider Name]

## Subjective

### Chief Complaint
[Patient's stated reason for visit]

### History of Present Illness
[Detailed narrative of symptoms using OLDCARTS or similar framework]

### Past Medical History
[List of relevant conditions]

### Medications
[List with dosages]

### Allergies
[List with reactions]

### Family History
[Relevant family medical conditions]

### Social History
[Occupation, habits, lifestyle factors]

## Objective

### Vital Signs
- BP: [value]
- HR: [value]
- RR: [value]
- Temp: [value]
- SpO2: [value]
- Height: [value]
- Weight: [value]
- BMI: [value]

### Physical Examination
**General:** [Appearance, distress level]
**HEENT:** [Findings]
**Cardiovascular:** [Findings]
**Respiratory:** [Findings]
**Gastrointestinal:** [Findings]
**Neurological:** [Findings]
**Musculoskeletal:** [Findings]
**Skin:** [Findings]

### Diagnostic Results
[List any available lab/imaging results]

## Assessment

1. **[Primary Diagnosis]** - [ICD-10 code if applicable]
   - [Brief justification]

2. **[Differential Diagnosis]** - [Why less likely]

### Problem List
1. [Active problem 1]
2. [Active problem 2]

## Plan

### Treatment
- [Medication/dosage/frequency]
- [Non-pharmacologic interventions]

### Follow-up
- [Timeline and purpose]

### Patient Education
- [Topics discussed]
- [Instructions provided]

### Orders/Referrals
- [Labs/imaging ordered]
- [Specialist referrals]

Best Practices

1. Write comprehensively in one pass - Gather all information first, then write the complete note
2. Use clear section headers - Make each SOAP component easily identifiable
3. Include specific details - Avoid vague statements; use measurable data
4. Maintain professional tone - Use appropriate medical terminology
5. Ensure logical flow - Assessment should follow from Objective findings; Plan should address Assessment
6. Document negative findings - Note relevant systems reviewed that were normal
7. Include patient understanding - Document that patient understood the plan

Example Usage

When tasked with creating a SOAP note:

1. Gather all available patient information from the task description
2. Organize information into SOAP categories mentally or in notes
3. Write the complete file with all four sections in one

   write_file

   operation
4. Ensure no required section is missing before completing the task

File Format

• Use markdown (.md) or plain text (.txt) for clarity
• Include appropriate headers for each section
• Use bullet points and numbered lists for readability
• Keep file size comprehensive (typically 3000-10000+ bytes for complete notes)