Blog “SOAP" Note Format Explained

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In medicine, we have traditionally relied on the "SOAP" format to facilitate efficient, organized and accurate transfer of patient information. It is utilized both in written and verbal communication.

 

More recently, many organizations have advocated for adoption of the "APSO" format. This further improves efficiency by listing the "Assessment" and "Plan" section first, which is what we really care about as busy doctors. While this is true in the clinical trenches, the traditional SOAP format is more natural fit for the blogosphere.

 

Below, I have described the purpose of each section which hopefully will lead to more efficient and pleasurable reading experience for my busy readers.  

 

Subjective:

Think of this section as your traditional blog post. Just like the “subjective” in patient a care note (SOAP), this helps establish context and background as to the topics relevancy to the readers.

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Objective:

This section serves as a quick reference of largely accepted facts on the topic much like a patient’s BP or exam in a SOAP note (we presume the information presented is an accurate representation of reality but the possibility of error remains, i.e. an inappropriately taken BP that is recorded). Every “objective” section will have the same organization as below. If a subsection does not apply to the topic it will be noted as not applicable (NA).

 

Location: (general, no secret spots given away, sorry)

Season: (when activity is available or “in season”)  

License: (if a specific license is needed to do activity)

Required gear: (will list essential gear only)

How to videos: (vetted, quality vids to help you get started)

 

Assessment:

A short 1-2 sentence summary of why this topic matters on your RFD journey.

 

Plan:

• Link(s) to additional quality resources

• Equipment recommendations with affiliate links

 

References:

1. References used for blog will be cited here

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