DAR Focus Charting: Data, Action, Response Explained

Focus charting organises notes around a patient concern rather than a medical diagnosis. Each entry is split into Data, Action and Response.

Clinical review status: awaiting review by a licensed nurse reviewer. Last updated 2026-11-10. Read our editorial policy.

Choosing the focus

The focus can be a nursing diagnosis, a sign or symptom, a sudden change, an event such as a fall, or a key part of care such as discharge teaching. Write it as the patient's concern, not as a task.

Data, Action, Response

• Data: subjective and objective information supporting the focus
• Action: what you did, including notifications and teaching
• Response: how the patient responded, which may be written in a later entry

A fictional example

Focus: Nausea. D: States 'I feel sick', declined lunch, no vomiting. A: Antiemetic given as ordered, cool cloth offered, head of bed raised. R (40 minutes later): States nausea 'mostly gone', sipping water.

DAR compared with PIE

PIE charting uses Problem, Intervention, Evaluation and links each problem to the care plan. DAR is a little more flexible because the focus does not have to be a formal problem.