progress notes [L, progredi + nota, mark] , (in the patient record) notes made by a nurse, physician, social worker, physical therapist, and other health care professionals that describe the patient’s condition and the treatment given or planned. Progress notes may follow the problem-oriented medical record format. The physician’s progress notes usually focus on the medical or therapeutic aspects of the patient’s condition and care. The nurse’s progress notes, although recording the medical conditions of the patient, usually focus on the objectives stated in the nursing care plan. These objectives may include responses to prescribed treatments, the ability to perform activities of daily living, and acceptance or understanding of a particular condition or treatment. Progress notes in an in-hospital setting are recorded daily; those in a clinic or office setting are usually preceded by an episodic or interval history and are recorded as accounts of each visit.
