How to Write a Progress Note in Epic

A strong progress note in Epic should clearly delineate the patient's current status, interval changes, and the updated plan. Key sections typically include the Subjective (patient's reported symptoms and updates), Objective (vital signs, physical exam findings, and new lab results), Assessment (the clinical synthesis of the current state), and Plan (specific next steps, medication changes, and follow-up). Precision in the Assessment and Plan is critical to avoid ambiguity in longitudinal care.

Rather than starting with a blank Epic template or relying on memory after a long shift, using an AI medical scribe allows you to generate a first pass based on the actual encounter. This workflow shifts the clinician's role from a primary writer to a reviewer, where you can verify the AI's draft against the transcript before the note ever enters the EHR. This ensures that the fidelity of the patient's narrative is preserved while reducing the time spent on manual data entry.