Expressing dates as numbers
Dates and line breaks
Avoid dividing any part of a date at the end of a line of text. If necessary, however, divide after the date, not after the month. (If you don't know how to create a hard space whatever program you use for transcribing, check the HELP files for the program or ask a support person at your company.)
Punctuating Dates
When the month, date and year are dictated, set off the year with the use of commas. Do not use ordinals in this format.
The patient was admitted on October 1, 2008, and discharged on October 2, 2008.
NOT: The patient was admitted on October 1st, 2008, and discharged on October 2nd, 2008.
Do not use commas when no date is given or with military dates.
The first surgery was in October 2007 and the second was in January 2008.
Do not use punctuation after the date if the date is freestanding.
Date of admission: September 10, 2008
Date of surgery: September 10, 2008
Date of discharge: September 11, 2008
When military style dates are used, the day precedes the month. Use numerals without commas. Write out or abbreviate the month (do not use periods with an abbreviation). NOTE: Military style dates are not the preference; unless specifically instructed, these should not be used.
4 November 2007
4 Nov 2007
29 October 2008
29 Oct 2008
When the day of the month precedes the month and is preceded by the article the, do not use commas and use ordinals for the day of the month.
the 4th of July 2008
the 2nd of September 2007
the 11th of March 2008
Date Sequences
When numerous dates are used repeatedly, as in a review of records or long history/hospital course, they can be written as numerals separated by virgules. Otherwise, in text it is preferred to write out dates unless otherwise specified in the account specifics. In formal correspondence, it is always preferred that dates be written out in full.
Two-digit years are acceptable but all 4 digits of a year is preferred, as it prevents ambiguity and possible confusion.
Check the facility or company guidelines for clarification as this is a preference/guideline and not a rule, per se.
The patient has had multiple surgeries, including a cesarean section on 8/25/2005, an appendectomy on 2/6/2006, a cholecystectomy on 10/15/2006 and a hysterectomy on 1/21/2007.
Electrolytes were normal on 5/1/2008, 5/2/2008 and 5/3/2008 and elevated on 5/4/2008 through 5/8/2008.
If only the month and the day are given, not the year, add the year only if you are positive about the year. However, the full date including the year is preferred.
For date of service, date of operation, date of admission and date of discharge (in other words, demographic data), as well as date dictated/transcribed, virgules may be used to separate month, day and year. Follow account specifics regarding writing out dates in the record v. using virgules to separate month/date/year. In formal correspondence, writing out the dates is preferred.
Date of Admission: 10/10/2009
Date of Surgery: 10/10/2009
Date of Discharge: 10/11/2009
As shown above, the trend is to include all 4 digits of the year; follow account guidelines.
Tonight/Tomorrow/Yesterday
Dates in medical-legal records need to be specific. When tonight, tomorrow or yesterday is dictated, include the specific date to which it refers.
Make certain you know the specific date. If you are unsure, follow account directions to note and flag for attention.
Dictated: The patient will be seen tomorrow for a preop.
Transcribed: The patient will be seen tomorrow, March 5, 2009, for a preop.
Dictated: The patient will be discharged tonight.
Transcribed: The patient will be discharged tonight, March 5, 2009.
Dictated: The patient had a cough yesterday.
Transcribed: The patient had a cough yesterday, March 5, 2009.
Do not combine the word tonight with the abbreviation p.m. or the word this morning or in the morning with a.m.
6 p.m. or 6 o'clock tonight or 6:00 tonight NOT 6 p.m. tonight
8 a.m. or 8 o'clock in the morning or 8:00 in the morning or 8:00 this morning NOT 8 a.m. in the morning
Years/Decades/Centuries
Use numerals to express specific years. Precede a single year without a century with an apostrophe.
This first occurred in 2001.
He was last seen in '08.
For decades, express with numerals except in special circumstances. Add s to form the plural. Do not use an apostrophe, as this is not a possessive expression.
The patient had a hysterectomy sometime in the 1980s.
He bought his first computer in the early 1990s.
When a shortened expression is used for a decade, omitting the century, use a preceding apostrophe.
The patient had a hysterectomy sometime in the '80s.
He bought his first computer in the early '90s.
Spell out and capitalize references for decades that have become proper nouns.
His fame spanned from the Gay Nineties to the Roaring Twenties.
Spell out and lowercase centuries first through ninth, using numerals for 10th and higher.
It was dated from the seventh century.
He fought his way into the 21st century.
Use a hyphen when century is part of a compound modifier.
It was an excellent reproduction of 18th-century statuary.
He was an icon in 21st-century entertainment.
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