Medical chronology sample and free template
A sample medical chronology for a fictional patient, and a free template you can download in Word or Excel. Both follow the same structure: a dated row for each visit, the key findings of that visit, and the page every finding comes from.
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Word template (.docx)
Matter details, a providers and diagnoses summary, gaps in care, the chronology table, visit details and a section for undated records.
Excel template (.xlsx)
One row per visit with a column for each part of the visit, a visit-type dropdown, and sheets for providers and gaps in care.
Sample medical chronology
An excerpt of a Medcron chronology for a fictional patient. It opens with a summary and the key findings of each visit, then lists every finding of every visit with its page. In the linked PDF, each page reference opens the cited page with the passage marked.
Providers
Riverbend Emergency Department · 1 visit
Northside Family Medicine · 1 visit
Riverbend Physical Therapy · 12 sessions
Diagnoses
Cervical strain · first documented 01/02/2024 · D1 p.4
Gaps in care
None over 30 days between 01/02/2024 and 03/05/2024.
| Date | Facility / provider | Visit | Key findings | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/02/2024 | Riverbend Emergency Department · A. Example, MD | Emergency visit | Reason: Neck pain after rear-end collision, onset same day. Assessment: Cervical strain. Treatment: Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg prescribed. Plan: Follow up with primary care in one week. | D1 p.3–5 |
| 01/09/2024 | Northside Family Medicine · B. Sample, DO | Office visit | Reason: Neck pain 6/10, worse with turning. Assessment: Cervical strain. Plan: Physical therapy referral (ordered). | D2 p.1–2 |
| 01/16/2024 – 03/05/2024 | Riverbend Physical Therapy | Therapy | Treatment: 12 therapy sessions documented. | D3 p.1–24 |
| Undated | Riverbend Emergency Department | Record | Findings: Discharge medication list. | D1 p.9 |
Visit details (excerpt)
01/02/2024 · Riverbend Emergency Department · Emergency visit
- Complaints: Neck pain after rear-end collision, onset same day. — D1 p.3
- Examination: Tenderness over the cervical paraspinal muscles. — D1 p.3
- Imaging and tests: CT cervical spine: no acute fracture. — D1 p.4
- Assessment: Cervical strain. — D1 p.4
- Treatment: Cyclobenzaprine 10 mg prescribed. — D1 p.5
- Plan: Follow up with primary care in one week (recommended). — D1 p.5
Fictional patient and providers. "Ordered" and "recommended" mark planned care; records without a documented date of service stay undated.
The columns of a medical chronology
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Date of service | The date the care happened, as documented. Not the date the record was printed, faxed or signed. |
| Facility and provider | Where the care happened and who documented it. |
| Visit type | Emergency visit, office visit, hospital stay, imaging, procedure, therapy, lab results or telephone contact. |
| Key findings | Why the patient came, what was found and concluded, what was done, and what was planned. |
| Pages | The page, or Bates number, each finding comes from, so anyone can verify it in seconds. |
Rules that keep a chronology reliable
- Date of service, not document date. A signature or fax date days later moves care to the wrong day.
- A page for every finding. Citations turn the chronology into a working document your team and experts can check.
- Planned is not performed. "MRI ordered" and "MRI performed" are different facts; keep the stage visible.
- Undated records stay undated. List them separately rather than guessing a date.
- Keep the patient's account separate. Complaints and history are what the patient reported; findings and assessments are the clinician's.
- Track gaps in care and prior history. Both come up in every negotiation and deposition.
For a full walkthrough, read how to prepare a medical chronology, or see what a medical chronology is and what one costs.
Questions
Is the template free?
Yes. Download the Word or Excel version and use it for your own matters. Replace the fictional example rows with your own.
Should I use the Word or the Excel template?
Use Word when the chronology will be read, shared with experts or attached to a demand. Use Excel when you want to sort, filter or count visits by provider, or track gaps in care.
What date should each row use?
The date of service documented in the record. If a record has no date of service, list it as undated instead of borrowing a nearby date.
How long does it take to fill in?
For a paralegal, a typical personal injury file takes most of a working day; complex hospital records take longer. Medcron prepares the same chronology from uploaded records and has a person review it before delivery.
Skip the manual work
Upload the records and Medcron prepares this chronology, with every finding linked to its page, and a person reviews it before delivery. $0.75 per page, delivered within 4 business hours for files up to 200 pages, and by the next business day for larger files.