What Is an Opening Document Inventory?

Published September 23, 2026 · 2 minute read · General information, not legal advice. Your licensing regulators decide what applies to you.

An opening document inventory is one list of every document the practice needs before and at launch, with each document's owner, current status, revision number, and signature state. It answers a question that is surprisingly hard to answer otherwise: which documents exist, which are drafts, and which are actually signed and in use.

Why an inventory rather than a folder

A shared folder shows files, not status. A draft consent and a signed consent can sit side by side with similar names. A template downloaded months ago looks the same as a completed practice document. The inventory separates these states so nobody treats a draft as final.

Status categories that help

Use a small, fixed set of states: not started, draft, in review, completed, signed, in use. The difference between completed and signed matters. A completed framework has every blank filled. A signed document has been reviewed and signed by the accountable person. Only signed documents should be in use with patients where a signature is required by your practice.

Keeping it current

Update the inventory whenever a document changes state, not at the end of the week. Assign one person to own the inventory itself. After launch, the inventory becomes the operating document register and continues to track revisions.

What to record

• Document name and category
• Owner responsible for completing it
• Status, from the fixed set
• Revision number and date
• Reviewer and signer, with dates
• Location of the current version
• Documents it depends on or references

The opening order for these documents is in How to Open a Med Spa. Signature status for each document is tracked in the signature map.