How to File Alphabetically in Medical Offices

Folders and a filing cabinet make the process much easier.

Thanks to computer programs that alphabetize and organize files as we wish, filing is becoming a less common skill. If you work at a medical office without electronic record keeping, keeping files alphabetized in an organized manner is crucial. You don't need much to get started, and once you have a system in place keeping files organized is easy.

Things You'll Need

• Files
• Filing Cabinet

Instructions

1. Designate space appropriately. Approximate the amount of space needed for all of your files, then assign smaller spaces to each letter of the alphabet using labels, markers, or another form of designation. You may need to keep files in half a drawer, on a corner of a desk, or some other specific place. As long as they fit you'll be fine.

2. File or stack medical files. If you have created larger files for each letter of the alphabet, place patient files in their appropriate letter files. As you continue to add to each letter file, place new patient files in alphabetical order within letter files. If you will be stacking files in the end without larger files, use sufficient desk or floor space to create alphabetized piles for each letter of patient last names.

3. Check your work. In addition to confirming that files within a cabinet are in proper letter order, make sure you have alphabetized properly within each letter file by randomly choosing a few letters to scan. Some mistakes to look for are filing by first instead of last name and stacking backwards, resulting in names within each letter file being filed backwards.

References

• Doctor Stuff
• Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies