Other
SOAP Notes
Vivek Podder et al., StatPearls Publishing (NCBI Bookshelf), 2023
Read the originalRead on October 17, 2026
- What it is
- A StatPearls reference article, indexed in PubMed as PMID 29489268, that explains the SOAP note as a documentation method for clinicians. Its abstract gives the four parts, the origin of the structure with Larry Weed, and the note's role as a checklist and a clinical reasoning aid.
- How much weight it carries
- A widely cited, peer-reviewed clinical reference that is updated by its editors. It is an overview rather than a study, so it gives no figures on how often SOAP notes are used or how accurate they are. We read the abstract, not the full article, which sits behind a registration wall.
Facts taken from this source
- The StatPearls article says Larry Weed developed the widely adopted SOAP note structure almost 50 years before its 2023 update.
“Larry Weed developed the widely adopted SOAP note structure almost 50 years ago.” (Abstract)
- The StatPearls reference article on SOAP notes says the subjective, objective, assessment and plan note is a widely used documentation method for clinicians.
“The subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) note is a widely used documentation method for clinicians.” (Abstract)