LNCtips.com: 4 Types of Indexes

Indexing refers to the listing of certain information pertinent to a lawsuit.  Let's look at four types of documents that are indexed and how legal nurse consultants can individualize indexes (or indices, if you prefer) for their unique needs.

The purpose of indexing is to help the members of the law team quickly locate records, documents, and other material obtained through discovery or other means.  Four types of records that law firms index include:

1) Medical Records. A medical records index typically contains a listing of medical records that the law firm has received plus dates of service and a number assigned to the location where the records are kept.  As a legal nurse consultant, I prefer to add diagnoses to my indexes because it helps me quickly determine which set of records contains important information.  With the exception of my client's records (which I always put first), I may create my indexes in alphabetical order or chronological order, as seen in this sample. That's because when I'm looking for a certain admission from a specific hospital, I don't want to look through every binder to locate the admission I want.

2) Radiographs.  A typical radiograph index includes all films and disks of radiographs, including x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, etc.  The index usually contains dates of service, the type of radiograph, the location where the radiograph was obtained and whether the radiograph was produced as a film or digitally.  If the radiographs were produced as films, the index identifies the number of films.  If the radiographs were produced digitally, the law firm assigns a number to each disk of radiographs. As an LNC, I like to add the time of the study, when it's available and when it's important to the case.  The time of the study often helps me to identify the sequence of medical events.  I also like to identify the ordering physicians.  I compare the names of the ordering physicians to the medical record index to determine if I have their records.  As you can see in the sample radiograph index, it's not always possible to identify the time and/or names of ordering physicians.  The sample radiograph index is in chronological order, but LNCs may wish to order the list by location or type of study.

3) Pathology Specimens.  Pathology specimens are indexed by dates of service, the location where the specimens were obtained, and the specimen number.  As an LNC, I also like to add the ordering and interpreting physicians. 

4) Pleadings. Pleadings are documents filed with the court during a lawsuit.  Pleadings are indexed by ascending numbers assigned by the law firm.  The first pleading is usually the Complaint, since it's the first document filed with the court in a lawsuit.  Like a hospital chart, pleadings are usually filed in reverse chronological order.  That is, the most recent pleading is placed on top of earlier pleadings.  Pleadings are usually indexed by paralegals or legal secretaries.  However, some legal nurse consultants also perform this type of indexing.

Indexing is a skill that legal nurse consultants use to make sense of legal documents.  As an LNC, you can individualize the different types of indexes to help with your case review.

...Katy Jones