This course is also available in the 2023 Paralegal Cruise Bundle.

Medical records are packed with technical terms, codes, and shorthand that can feel overwhelming without the right tools to break them down. This course will show you how to review medical records with a critical eye, extract the information that matters most, and prepare concise summaries that support client representation.

We’ll cover how to navigate SOAP notes, identify contradictions in patient and physician statements, and understand the difference between subjective complaints, objective findings, and medical assessments. You’ll learn to recognize treatment plans, diagnostic tests, and the significance of common forms like the HCFA 1500 and Explanation of Benefits (EOB).

The course will also explore CPT and ICD codes, why standardized medical terminology matters, and how to interpret common abbreviations and jargon used in records. By the end, you’ll have a clear framework for translating complex medical documentation into usable information for your legal work.

Course Format

This is an on demand seminar – you’ll receive immediate access to the on demand recording, a copy of the PowerPoint and a certificate of attendance/CLE. You have lifetime access to this program, so once it’s in your account, you can return to complete it whenever it is convenient for you.

Video length: 57 Minutes

Continuing Legal Education Credit (CLE)

NALA CP or ACP: This program meets the requirements of the NALA Certifying Board for continuing legal education credit required to maintain the CP (Certified Paralegal) credential. This program is pre-approved by NALA for 1.0 hours of substantive CLE.

Florida Bar FRP: As approved by NALA, this seminar meets the requirements under Rule 20-6.1 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar for continuing legal education credit required to maintain the FRP credential.

NALS – This program is approved by NALS for 1.0 CLE Hour.

NFPA RP® or CRP™: NFPA automatically accepts substantive CLE hours which bears the accreditation of NALA on the certificate of attendance.

State Bar of Texas – Paralegal Division – The Division will accept substantive law CLE approved by the National Association of Legal Assistants for credit towards the Paralegal Division mandatory membership renewal CLE requirement.

Meet your Speaker

Candy Ryan, CRP™, BA, is the Senior Litigation Paralegal at The Silvera Firm in Dallas, Texas. She has had an extensive career handling such diverse matters as non-subscriber defense and subrogation, commercial litigation, insurance defense, bankruptcy, business and corporate, probate and trust, real estate, trucking, railroad, and family law.  She is experienced in both federal and state courts in numerous jurisdictions, including, Texas, California, Washington, Oregon, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New York, and New Jersey.  Ms. Ryan has been an active part of the legal community since 1980, having worked in Seattle, San Diego, and Dallas.  She is a graduate of the University of San Diego, ABA accredited Paralegal Studies Program (1988) and has specialized in litigation for more than 35 years.  In addition, she is one of the initial 16 paralegals to be certified by the National Federation of Paralegal Association (NFPA) as a CORE Registered Paralegal (CRP) in the State of Texas and one of the first 200 CRPs in the United States (2011).  Further she received her B.A. in Legal Studies in 2015.  She enjoys public speaking and has been a regular contributor to NBI/IPE seminars since 1999 as well as presenting continuing legal education for the Perfectly Paralegal Cruises on the following issues: 2017 Ethics, 2019 Calendaring and Docketing and 2022 Foolproof Calendaring and Mastering the Basics of Discovery.  She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Area Paralegal Association in various positions as well as acting as a Coordinator for the National Federation of Paralegal Associations.  In her free time, she loves to camp, kayak, hike, and scuba dive.