This page will talk you through some best practice guidelines for naming patient-related and non-patient-related files, and where to store them on your computer.
Ideal Files Names
Here are examples of ideal file names for patient-related and non-patient-related files:
Non-patient-related
241207 UTI policy PP v02
Patient-related
241207 LMC pt 1234 query v01
As you can see, both of these file names follow the same format. In this page we’ll break down the three parts of how to properly name files:
1️⃣ Date
Including the date that you saved a document in the title can be helpful for identifying the most recent version of a file, or reminding you when you last worked on a document. It’s also helpful when it comes to sorting your files in your file directory to find the most recent version.
This should be included in the format YEAR MONTH DAY, at the start of the file name. Dates in the single digits should always include a ‘0’ at the start.
For example, we included the date in our patient-related file above like this:
241207 LMC pt 1234 query
This shows that the file was saved on 7th December 2024.
I should not name it something like:
LMC pt 1234 query 7th Dec 2024
Although this does tell you when the file was saved, it isn’t helpful for keeping your files in chronological order in your file directory.
2️⃣ Concise, Descriptive Title
Your files should be named using concise, descriptive titles. This means your file names should not be too long, but should accurately describe what the file contains.
For patient-related files, this should always include the site name and EMIS / Optum number. Patient names should not be used in file names to ensure data protection.
For example, if I wrote a UTI policy for the Penrose Portal I might name it:
UTI policy PP
This tells me exactly what is in this file, and adding the shorthand ‘PP’ tells me it’s a document for the Penrose Portal.
For a patient-related query, I might name a file:
LMC pt 1234 query
This tells me the relevant site, the relevant patient (without revealing any personal information), and what the file relates to (a query).
I should not name it something like:
For portal
I can’t tell from this file name what it contains, other than it relates to the ‘portal’, which is ambiguous.
I shouldn’t name a patient-related file something like:
Mr Jones query about abnormal blood test results
We may have lots of Mr Jones across our surgeries! This file name does not help me find the relevant surgery or patient. It also reveals too much information about the query.
3️⃣ Version Number
Including version numbers in file names can be helpful to identify the most up-to-date version of a file, and to maintain older file versions in case you need to go back to one of them.
Until you know you have a final version of a file, refrain from naming it ‘FINAL’ as this can lead to file names like the example below.
Version numbers should always be proceeded with ‘v’, so you know what the number is referring to. It’s a good idea to use a ‘0’ in front of single digits, as this maintains the numeric ordering in your file directory.
To continue my UTI policy example from above, I could add a version number like:
UTI policy PP v02
This tells me it’s the second version of this file.
Once I know I have the final version of this file, I might call it:
UTI policy PP v03 FINAL
I should not name it something like:
UTI policy PP 3
This file name is unclear because I don’t know what the ‘3’ in the title is referring to.
I also shouldn’t name it
UTI policy PP final FINAL ACTUALLY FINAL THIS TIME
For obvious reasons, this is not a helpful file name!