This presentation will introduce you to terminal digit filing as well as provide examples in practice. This material coincides with your assigned reading this week from both your Green and Johns textbooks. Terminal digit is a common filing system used in facilities that file paper records. It consists of a six-digit or longer patient number.
The terminal digit number is written with a hyphen separating each part of the number. We will discuss the three parts that make up a terminal digit number on the next slides. You will also see that we read terminal digit numbers from right to left.
This goes against our typical reading pattern, which is left to right. There are three digits that make up a terminal digit number. Tertiary, secondary, and primary digits. We will break down this example terminal digit number so that you can see which digits are which. Let's look at our example number, 72248. In this example, 7 is the tertiary digit.
This is indicated for you in red. 22 is our secondary digit. This again is indicated for you in red. And last, 48 is our primary digit, again in red.
As I stated in the introduction, we do not read terminal digit numbers in the pattern we are accustomed to. We read these numbers from right to left. Our example would be read 48227. Think backwards. We will be looking next at how terminal digit medical record numbers are filed.
You will see that we start at the right with our primary digit. We begin with the primary digit and work to the left. Though it is difficult to see in the picture on the right, this is showing you how patient medical records are filed on a shelf using terminal digit filing. I've also listed out an example shelf on the left to demonstrate. Notice the pattern.
Remember to read the numbers from right to left. Now it's your turn. Using a piece of scratch paper, put the following four medical record numbers in terminal digit order. Here's the answer. How did you do?
Notice that the lowest primary digit is 86, so this number is first. The primary digits get incrementally higher, 87, 88, and last 89. These numbers are in terminal digit order. Here's a more challenging one for you.
Put these four medical record numbers in terminal digit order. Here's the answer. How did you do? Let's take a look at this example in more detail.
All of the primary digits here are 15. When the primary digit or digits are the same, We look next at the secondary digit. Remember that the middle digit is the secondary digit. We have two that are the same, 30. If the secondary digit is the same, you look at the tertiary digit.
This is the digit furthest to the left. 22 is lower than 25, making 22, 30, 15 first, followed by 25, 30, 15. The next secondary digit is 65, so 18, 65, 15 comes next. And last is 148515. Let's review the key points to keep in mind when working with terminal digit filing. You have three digits, tertiary, secondary, and primary. We read terminal digit numbers starting with the primary digit, or from right to left.
You should now have an understanding of terminal digit filing. You can watch this presentation as many times as you like. Be sure to also complete your assigned reading this week. Pay close attention to the examples in your textbook.
You will have a chance to demonstrate your proficiency with this filing system when you complete your lab assignment this week. If you have any questions, please post in the student lounge and either your classmates or myself will help. This concludes the presentation.