A medical chronology is a date-ordered, page-cited list of every medical encounter; a medical summary is a short narrative of the overall course of treatment; a medical record review is a professional's opinion on a specific question, such as standard of care or causation. The first two report facts; only the review gives an opinion.
The terms are used loosely. One vendor's “summary” is another's “chronology,” and “record review” can mean anything from a quick read to a formal expert report. When you order one, describe the deliverable rather than relying on the label.
Side by side
| Medical chronology | Medical summary | Medical record review | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | One entry per encounter, in date order | A narrative of the injury and treatment | An analysis that answers a question about the care |
| Length | Grows with the records; often many pages | Usually one to a few pages | Varies; often a written report |
| Citations | Every entry cited to a page | Sometimes, often only for key facts | Cites the records it relies on |
| Opinions | None: facts only | None, if done properly | Yes: that's its purpose |
| Typically prepared by | Paralegal, LNC or chronology service | Paralegal, LNC or chronology service | LNC or physician expert |
| Used for | Building the case; demand support; deposition prep; expert briefing | Quickly understanding a case; demand letters; case intake | Screening merit; liability and causation; expert testimony |
Medical chronology
A chronology takes records from every provider and puts each visit, test, procedure and medication change into one timeline. Each entry has the date, the provider, what happened and the source page. Its value is that anyone can check any entry against the record in seconds, which is why it's the foundation for almost everything else. Our guide to what a good chronology contains covers the details.
Medical summary
A summary tells the story in prose: who the patient is, what happened, the key diagnoses and procedures, who treated them and where things stand now. It's what someone reads first. It's short because it leaves things out, so on its own it can hide a treatment gap or a pre-existing condition. A summary is most useful when it sits on top of a full chronology that backs it up.
Medical record review
A record review applies professional judgment to the records to answer a question. In a malpractice case the question might be whether nursing care met the standard of care; in a personal injury case, whether the treatment was related to the incident and reasonable. The reviewer, usually a legal nurse consultant or a physician, reads the records (often from a chronology), applies their clinical knowledge and gives an opinion. Whether a particular review needs a physician rather than a nurse depends on the question and on your jurisdiction's expert rules, which your attorney will know.
Which one you need
- Screening a new case: a summary, or a chronology with a summary on top.
- Writing a demand: a chronology with a summary, so every statement has a page citation.
- Preparing for a deposition or mediation: a chronology, with the key entries marked.
- Deciding whether care was negligent or caused harm: an expert record review, built on a chronology.
What Zicron provides
Zicron delivers the first two: a one-to-two-page case summary and a single chronology across every provider, each entry cited to its page, in PDF and editable Word. It doesn't give standard-of-care, causation or damages opinions; those stay with you, your legal nurse consultant or your expert. The price is $450 per case for up to 500 pages, then $0.50 per additional page, with a 48-hour turnaround from a complete record set. The first case is half price.
See a sample chronology (a fictional case). Law firms can start at /medical-chronology; legal nurse consultants who want the sorting done so they can focus on the review can start at /lnc.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a medical chronology and a medical summary?
- A medical chronology lists each medical encounter in date order, one entry per visit, test or procedure, each cited to the page it came from. A medical summary is a shorter narrative that describes the overall course of injury and treatment in prose. Many deliverables combine the two: a one-to-two-page summary on top of a full chronology.
- Is a medical record review the same as a medical chronology?
- No. A medical record review answers a question about the records, such as whether care met the standard of care, what caused an injury, or whether treatment was reasonable and necessary, and includes the reviewer's professional opinion. A chronology reports what the records say without opinions. Reviews are usually prepared by a legal nurse consultant or a physician expert, often starting from a chronology.
- Which one do I need for a personal injury demand?
- Usually a chronology plus a short summary: the chronology to support every statement in the demand with a page citation, and the summary to tell the story. An expert review is needed when liability or causation turns on a medical judgment, as in a malpractice case.
- Does Zicron provide medical record reviews with opinions?
- No. Zicron provides a case summary and a page-cited chronology: medical facts only. It does not give opinions on standard of care, causation or damages. Those stay with the attorney, the legal nurse consultant or a qualified expert.