What does SOAP stand for in notes?

SOAP stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan — the four sections of a structured clinical note covering what the patient reports, what's measured, what it means, and what happens next.

A SOAP note is a structured way to document a clinical encounter in four parts so anyone reading the record can quickly see the patient's report, the objective findings, the clinician's assessment, and the plan. This is a general explainer, not medical or legal advice.

What's an example of a SOAP note?

S: patient reports a three-day dry cough and mild fatigue. O: temp 37.1°C, SpO₂ 98%, chest clear. A: likely viral upper respiratory infection. P: supportive care and rest; return if symptoms worsen in 5–7 days.

Guide · June 30, 2026 · 6 min read

SOAP Notes: Format, Examples & Template

A SOAP note is a structured way to document a clinical encounter in four parts: Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan. It gives clinicians a consistent format so anyone reading the record can quickly see what the patient reported, what was measured, what it means, and what happens next.

This is a general explainer of the SOAP format. It isn't medical or legal advice, and it doesn't address the specific documentation or privacy rules that apply to regulated healthcare settings.

What does SOAP stand for?

Subjective — what the patient reports in their own words: symptoms, history, concerns.
Objective — measurable, observable data: vitals, exam findings, test results.
Assessment — the clinician's interpretation: diagnosis or differential, clinical reasoning.
Plan — next steps: treatment, prescriptions, referrals, follow-up.

SOAP note template

Section	What to record
Subjective	Chief complaint, symptom history, patient-reported details
Objective	Vitals, physical exam findings, labs, imaging
Assessment	Diagnosis / differential and reasoning
Plan	Treatment, medication, referrals, follow-up timing

Short SOAP note example

S: Patient reports a three-day dry cough and mild fatigue; no fever noted at home.
O: Temp 37.1°C, SpO₂ 98%, chest clear on auscultation.
A: Likely viral upper respiratory infection; low suspicion for bacterial involvement.
P: Supportive care, fluids, rest; return if symptoms worsen or fever develops in 5–7 days.

Why the SOAP format endures

SOAP works because it separates what was said from what was measured from what it means from what to do. That separation keeps records scannable and reduces the chance of mixing assumption with observation — which is exactly why structured note formats outperform free-form notes in any field, not just medicine.

Structured notes beyond the clinic

The same principle — capture, separate, structure — is why meeting tools organize conversations into fixed sections instead of one long block. Nod captures a conversation from your Mac's audio and structures it into topics, decisions, action items, and open questions automatically, the way SOAP structures an encounter. Capture is local on your Mac; transcription runs in the EU cloud with no stored audio. (Nod is a general meeting-notes tool, not a clinical documentation system — for patient records, use software built for your regulatory environment.)

Frequently asked questions

What does SOAP stand for in notes?: SOAP stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan — the four sections of a structured clinical note covering what the patient reports, what's measured, what it means, and what happens next.
What is a SOAP note?: A SOAP note is a structured way to document a clinical encounter in four parts so anyone reading the record can quickly see the patient's report, the objective findings, the clinician's assessment, and the plan. This is a general explainer, not medical or legal advice.
What's an example of a SOAP note?: S: patient reports a three-day dry cough and mild fatigue. O: temp 37.1°C, SpO₂ 98%, chest clear. A: likely viral upper respiratory infection. P: supportive care and rest; return if symptoms worsen in 5–7 days.