Where is the withdrawal of material from an outpatient medical record to an inpatient record recorded?

• A. No notation is required, as long as it is returned to the outpatient record
• B. On AF Form 1480, Summary of Care, in the outpatient record
• C. On SF 600, Health Record-Chronological Record of Medical Care
• D. In the inpatient record

Answer: (C)

When material is moved from outpatient to inpatient care, the entry belongs in the inpatient health record as part of the patient’s care timeline. The standard place for this is the Health Record-Chronological Record of Medical Care, captured on the SF 600. This form provides a dated, continuous narrative of all medical events for the patient, including transfers or withdrawals of material between settings, ensuring a complete and traceable history within the inpatient record. Using the SF 600 keeps the documentation consistent and easily auditable.

The other form mentioned serves a different purpose. A Summary of Care is intended to convey a concise overview of care, not to document the full, dated sequence of events in the inpatient record. Placing the withdrawal in the outpatient record or using a different form would break the continuity of the inpatient timeline, whereas the SF 600 specifically supports recording such transitions in a standardized, chronological manner.