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How to Write Effective Psychiatry notes? (With Psychiatric Note Example)

Salwa Zeineddine, Mental Health Expert

Psychiatric Notes

The art of note-taking is a finely honed craft, cultivated through one's professional journey. Among psychiatrists, documentation can pose a challenge in the sense that ascertaining what to prioritize can be daunting. While there are no quick fixes for mastering such a skill, invaluable insights and recommendations can significantly aid trainees. In this blog, we furnish a comprehensive analysis of diverse facets of note-taking, proffering efficacious strategies for documentation in psychiatry.

Is this blog for me? You Might Be Pondering

Well, if you are a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse or work in any related field, you should not miss this article!

Psychiatry is a specialized domain related to human behavior that concentrates on the identification, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. A psychiatrist, who is an M.D. or D.O., is a physician who specializes in the sphere of mental health, encompassing substance abuse issues. Psychiatrists are adept at evaluating the psychological and physiological dimensions of psychological disorders.

Individuals seek psychiatric aid for a myriad of reasons. Some of those can surface abruptly, such as in the case of panic attacks, distressing hallucinations, suicidal ideation, or auditory hallucinations. Alternatively, others may persist over an extended period, manifesting as a profound sense of sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, or difficulties with functioning, resulting in an altered or disordered everyday life experience.

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Importance of Note-Writing in Psychiatry

In light of their medical training, psychiatrists are capable of ordering or conducting a comprehensive range of medical and psychological assessments. Such evaluations, coupled with patient consultations, enable the psychiatrist to form a comprehensive understanding of the patient's physical and mental condition. Their education and clinical training equip them to fathom the intricate interplay between emotional and other medical illnesses, genetics, and family history, allowing them to assess medical and psychological data, make accurate diagnoses, and collaborate with patients to devise effective treatment strategies.

Along the path, you will inevitably encounter patients who divulge their innermost vulnerabilities, hopes, aspirations, or other confidential information. The value of documenting these interactions among others in your notes is widely recognized by most practitioners, for these notes serve as an indispensable compass to navigate through the maze of your patients' cases, keep track of their progress, and tailor treatment plans to meet their desired outcomes. A mere declaration of diagnosis or therapy's efficacy is but a subjective perspective, bereft of empirical evidence that substantiates the necessity and effectiveness of the interventions.

Ok, yeah, you might say. But we are all cognizant of the onerous task of transcribing notes. How can we be sure we are drafting effective notes that comprehensively encapsulate the requisite information in a succinct, structured, and proficient manner? Fret not, for we shall furnish you with expert recommendations on how to pen superior psychiatry notes. These tips will streamline your record-keeping process, bolster your organizational skills, save you valuable time, and ensure that you adhere to the requirements of the relevant standards and regulations.

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What Elements Ought to Be Encompassed Within My Notes?

When it comes to note-writing in psychiatry, it is crucial to capture a comprehensive clinical picture of the patient. The following elements should be encompassed within your notes:

Identifying Information:Begin each note with the patient's identifying information, including their name, date of birth, and any relevant contact details. This practice ensures lucidity and helps maintain meticulous documentation.
Chief Complaint: Draft a concise and clear statement capturing the patient's primary reason for seeking psychiatric care. Make sure to reflect using the patient's own words, thereby capturing their subjective perspective accurately.
History of Present Illness (HPI): In this section, you should outline details pertaining to the patient's psychiatric symptoms: their duration, severity, and any triggering or exacerbating factors. This section should, ideally, mirror the patient’s functional and emotional impairments that brought them to you.
Past Psychiatric History: Provide a brief overview of the patient's psychiatric history: previous diagnoses, treatments, hospitalizations, and responses to medications and/or specific therapy. You can also note any reported family history of mental health conditions.
Medical and Surgical History: Include pertaining medical and surgical information. Keep in mind that psychiatric symptoms sometimes mirror existing physical health conditions. As such, documenting such information can help identify potential contributing factors and ensure a holistic approach to care.
Medications and Allergies: List all current medications, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements. Document any known drug allergies or adverse reactions previously experienced by the patient.
Brief Mental Status Examination (MSE):The MSE is a crucial component of psychiatric assessments. It revolves around observing and documenting the patient's general appearance, behavior, speech, mood, affect, thought content, cognition, orientation, and insight. Make sure you capture the patient's mental state accurately by providing a comprehensive description of each of the components mentioned above.
Assessment and Diagnosis:Based on the information gathered throughout the session with your client, provide an assessment that includes a differential diagnosis or a working diagnosis. Justify your conclusions by providing evidence from the evaluation process. Note that this section is to be updated as the treatment progresses.
Treatment Plan:The short and long-term goals and strategies will be summarized in this section of your psychiatric notes. Outline a detailed treatment plan incorporating interventions, therapies, medications, and other referrals. Set specific dosages, frequencies, and durations of medications, as well as any necessary monitoring parameters. Discuss the rationale behind the chosen treatment options and involve the patient in the decision-making process.
Progress Notes:Regularly update your psychiatric progress notes tracking the patient's responses to interventions, adherence and engagement in therapy, updates in symptoms, and any modifications made to the treatment plan.

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Fake It Till You Make It: Tips for Effective Note-Writing in Psychiatry

Maintain clear and objective language: Psychiatric notes are to be written using clear, concise, and objective language. Avoid subjective interpretations or personal comments when describing symptoms, behaviors, and treatment outcomes. Instead, present your information objectively, avoiding personal judgments about the patient. Such practices ensure that your notes are professional and reliable.

Focus on Relevant Information: While it's important to capture all pertinent details, excessive documentation can leave you overwhelmed. Writing concise and targeted notes help you save time when retrieving information later on. Make sure you focus on relevant clinical information: chief complaints, psychiatric history, treatment plan, etc. instead of falling into unnecessary details.

Be Culturally Sensitive: Psychiatric care involves acknowledging and respecting patients' personal backgrounds and beliefs. Your notes should reflect this sensitivity. Document cultural considerations, communication preferences, individual needs, or specific factors pertaining to the patient that may impact treatment decisions.

Document informed consent: Clearly state that the patient has been informed about their diagnosis, treatment options, and other plans, and document their consent.

Highlight Safety Concerns: Document any risk assessments, safety plans, or concerns about self-harm or harm to others.

Follow Legal and Ethical Guidelines: Ensure your notes are compliant with patient confidentiality, privacy laws, and ethical standards. Maintain strict adherence to patient privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Store notes securely and avoid sharing sensitive patient information in non-secure channels. Use encrypted electronic health record systems and limit access to authorized personnel.

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Be Timely and Organized: Make a habit of documenting notes promptly after each patient encounters to ensure accuracy and completeness and avoid memory gaps. Use clear headings, bullet points, or numbered lists for easy readability.

Use Appropriate Terminology: Employ standardized psychiatric terminology to ensure consistency and facilitate communication among healthcare professionals. This enhances clarity and minimizes ambiguity or misinterpretation of information.

Review and Proofread: Before finalizing your notes, review them for errors, incomplete information, or inconsistencies.

Use Structured Templates: Ready-for-use templates provide a framework for note-writing, ensuring consistency and efficiency. Pre-designed templates with sections for history, assessment, diagnosis, treatment plan, and progress tracking will help you organize your thoughts and capture essential information systematically. As a mental health practitioner, you will come across a myriad of diverse documentation templates in the course of your professional endeavors: Psychiatric Initial Evaluation Notes, Psychiatric Progress Notes (SOAP, BIRP, etc.), Psychiatric Discharge Summary Notes, and many more.

Written Example: Sample Psychiatric Initial Evaluation Note

Please note that this example is a fictional representation and does not represent a real encounter. This is a sample of a psychiatric initial evaluation note. Other templates (progress notes, discharge summary notes, etc.) are covered in separate blogs.

Reported Signs and Symptoms: Patient X is exhibiting symptoms associated with psychosis. Her behavior is described as bizarre, including inappropriate laughter. She expresses grandiose delusions and engages in excessive spending, reportedly thousands of dollars every weekend. There have also been incidents of inappropriate public sexual behaviors. The severity of symptoms indicates a high level of interference with functioning. Patient X has a history of multiple prior episodes of psychotic processes, with the first episode occurring during her teenage years and lasting approximately three weeks. She received treatment for psychosis, including hospitalization and the medication Lithium.

Immediate Risk Factors: Reliability of Information: The family is considered reliable in providing information. Suicidality: The patient downplays the extent of her suicidal thoughts or impulses. Self-Injurious Behavior: The patient convincingly denies any danger to herself through suicidal or self-injurious behavior. However, she admits to discontinuing her Lithium medication.

Behavioral Changes: Bizarre or inappropriate behaviors have been observed. Increased energy. Impulsive or unpredictable behavior is reported. Patient X experiences periods of extended insomnia. Risk-taking behavior has occurred. Patient X has engaged in impulsive sexual behavior. The family describes escalating spending binges.

Sleep Changes: The patient complains of insomnia and reports not having slept for weeks. She does not typically nap.

Past Psychiatric History: Psychiatric Hospitalization: The patient has been hospitalized multiple times, with the first hospitalization occurring in her twenties due to a mood disturbance with psychotic features. The patient is currently receiving outpatient mental health treatment for bipolar disorder. She is prescribed medication but has a history of non-compliance with medication.

Psychotropic Medication History: The patient previously took Lithium but has discontinued the medication due to non-compliance.

Family Psychiatric History: The patient’s brother has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. One of her maternal relatives has been hospitalized for bipolar disorder. Other closely related family members have no history of psychiatric disorders, psychiatric treatment or hospitalization, suicidal behaviors, or substance abuse.

Medical History: There are no indications of current infectious disease or recent exposure to an infectious disease.

Adverse Drug Reactions & Allergies: There is no known history of adverse drug reactions or allergies.

Brief Mental Status Exam: During the examination, patient X appeared irritable, distracted, and intrusive. Her speech was poorly articulated, pressured, rapid, and loud. Signs of manic psychosis were observed, including grandiosity, irritability, labile mood, over-talkativeness, pressured and rapid speech. She described suicidal thoughts but denied any intentions of acting on them. Homicidal thoughts or intentions were also denied. The patient displayed poor insight into her problems and poor judgment. No signs of anxiety were observed. She was easily distracted, fidgety, restless, oppositional, and intrusive during the examination.

Diagnoses: Based on the currently available information, the following diagnoses are made: Bipolar 1, current or most recent episode manic, severe with psychotic features.

Summary of Disposition: Admission to an inpatient facility is recommended. Precautions to prevent inappropriate sexual behavior are recommended. Observation is advised.

Electronically Signed By: Psychiatrist Z On: 5/26/2023 12:00:14 PM

To Conclude

And with that, we conclude our article. As healthcare professionals, the burden of remembering every detail from each session can have a significant impact on your mental well-being, regardless of how strong your memory is. Taking notes serves as a valuable reference point, allowing you to recall vital information about each client and foster a strong connection with them. Moreover, in many countries, these psychological notes are mandatory by law. If you find yourself feeling uncertain, don't fret. Mentalyc is here to support you!

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References:

American Psychiatric Association (APA) Practice Guidelines: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice
Documentation in Behavioral Health: A Guide for Clinicians: https://www.apa.org/members/your-membership/benefits/insurance-documentation.pdf
The Joint Commission: Standards FAQ Details: https://www.jointcommission.org/standards/standard-faqs/
Templates and Resources for Mental Health Providers: https://dss.mo.gov/mhd/cs/psych/pages/templates.htm

About the author

Salwa Zeineddine

Salwa Zeineddine is an expert in the mental health and medical field. She has extensive experience in the medical field, having worked as a medical researcher at the American University of Beirut. She is highly knowledgeable about therapist needs and insurance requirements. Salwa is passionate about helping people understand and manage their mental health, and she is committed to providing the best possible care for her patients. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and works to ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need.

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