A New Jersey Appellate Division panel has ruled that a hospital is obligated to provide a narrative road map specifying the location in the patient’s chart where an adverse medical incident is documented.

The appeals court said plaintiff Heather Trella is entitled to discovery of any adverse incidents, or unintended injuries or illnesses that may have been preventable, that should have been documented in her medical records. The appeals court also said the trial court did not abuse its discretion by ordering Newton Medical Center to produce a narrative to show where in Trella’s chart the adverse incidents are documented.