In preparation for an upcoming site visit by Joint Commission, you discover that the number of delinquent records for the preceding month exceeded 50% of discharged patients. Even more alarming was the pattern you noticed in the type of delinquencies. Which of the following represents the most serious pattern of delinquencies? Fifteen percent of delinquent records show:
A. missing signatures on progress notes.
B. missing discharge summaries.
C. absence of SOAP format in progress notes
D. missing operative reports
Answer: D. missing operative reports