Forward-looking projection of future medical and non-medical care costs across the claimant's expected lifespan (Arias et al., 2025).
Backward-looking organized summary of the claimant's medical history drawn from treatment records.
| Dimension | Life Care Plan | Medical Chronology |
|---|---|---|
| Direction in time | Future (prospective projection) | Past (historical summary) |
| Primary output | Itemized plan with costs and frequencies | Date-organized narrative summary |
| Prepared by | CLCP with clinical background | Medical chronologist, often RN |
| Typical use | Damages quantification | Case understanding, deposition prep, expert support |
Use a life care plan to quantify future care costs for trial, settlement, or mediation in catastrophic injury or chronic disease cases (Reavis, 2002).
Use a medical chronology to summarize the record for internal review, deposition preparation, or to support other experts preparing opinions.
Both rely on careful record review, and the same clinical record is often the primary source. The life care plan and chronology are complementary: the chronology informs the plan by establishing the clinical trajectory.
Not categorically, but many benefit from both. The chronology is often assembled first and provides the clinical foundation for the life care plan.