Legal Aspects of Documenting Patient Care for Rehabilitation Professionals

Book excerpt: Because communication among health care professionals can mean the difference between patient life and death, clear and effective patient care documentation is as important as the delivery of care itself. The rehabilitation professional faces formidable documentation responsibilities. Patient care documentation created by the rehabilitation professional must be accurate, comprehensive, concise, objective, and timely. In an interdisciplinary health care environment, documentation must also be expeditiously communicated to other professionals on the health care team.