Neuro Exam Template Generator
A neuro exam generator for residents: mark the abnormal findings; the complete normal exam paragraph writes itself, with a coma exam variant.
Reviewed by Zaka Ahmed, MD Clinical reference · 4 min read
Neuro Exam Generator
⚠ Do not enter names, dates of birth, MRNs, or any other identifier. Nothing is stored on our servers.Educational documentation aid for clinicians. It applies published guideline logic to what you enter; it does not know your patient. Verify every line, follow your institutional protocol, and use clinical judgment. Full disclaimer. All builders in one place: the residents’ workspace.
Assistant (beta)
Type or dictate your one-line impression and the assistant fills the fields above; the plan itself still comes from the rule set, not from the model. No identifiers — the text goes to our own server and on to a language-model provider, and is not stored.
My phrases — the builder learns your service
Add the lines your attending always wants. Saved in this browser only and appended to the section you choose every time you build this note.
Clinical notes & interpretation Scoring guidance, pitfalls, FAQs, and references
The neurologic exam is documented best when the abnormal findings stand out and the normal ones are complete but quiet.
- → Type only the abnormal finding in a system — "right arm 3/5 with pronator drift" — and the generator writes it followed by the correctly worded normal remainder.
- → Three variants: the full exam, a screening exam for the floor, and a coma exam that documents GCS components, pupils, corneal, oculocephalic, gag and cough reflexes, motor response, breathing pattern, and confounders.
- → The optional NIHSS field links to the calculator so the number in the exam is the one you scored.
Why generated normal text is safer than a macro
EHR macros paste a normal exam whether or not you examined it, and they bury the one abnormal finding in a wall of normal text. This generator does the reverse: it starts empty, writes normal only for systems you left untouched, and puts your abnormal finding first in each system's sentence. The result is a note that reads as examined.
The coma exam
Consciousness, brainstem reflexes, motor response, and respiration in the order the bedside exam proceeds, with the confounders line (sedation held, no paralytics, temperature) that a later reader — or a brain-death evaluation — will need. GCS is summed for you, including the T suffix for intubated patients.
Use it inside other notes
Paste the generated paragraph into the exam field of the consult builder or the objective section of any SOAP note in the residents' workspace.
Frequently asked questions
Does the generator ever write an abnormal finding I did not enter?
No. Every system prints normal unless you type something into it, and what you type is reproduced first, followed by the normal remainder. Gait can be marked normal, not tested for safety, or abnormal with your description.
Is the screening exam acceptable for documentation?
The screening variant omits the detailed sensory exam and is intended for follow-up notes and floor patients where a focused exam is appropriate; the full variant is for admissions and consults. Local documentation standards apply.
Can I document a brain-death exam here?
The coma variant covers the bedside components and the confounders line, but formal death-by-neurologic-criteria determination requires your institution's protocol and checklist, including apnea testing and prerequisites, which this generator does not replace.
References
- Campbell WW, Barohn RJ. DeJong's The Neurologic Examination. 8th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2020.
- Greer DM, et al. Determination of brain death/death by neurologic criteria: the World Brain Death Project. JAMA. 2020;324:1078–1097.
- Teasdale G, Jennett B. Assessment of coma and impaired consciousness: a practical scale. Lancet. 1974;2:81–84.
Related reading
From the articles.
- PCA stroke Visual-field and thalamic findings worth documenting precisely.
- BE-FAST stroke warning signs The screening exam in the field.