What type of documentation records only patient responses that vary from predefined norms?

Charting by exception is the correct choice because it specifically involves documenting only the significant findings or variances from established norms. In this method, healthcare providers focus on noting responses that fall outside the expected range, allowing for a more streamlined and efficient documentation process. This approach can help quickly highlight any issues that may require immediate attention, while reducing unnecessary records of routine care, ultimately making patient charts easier to review.

Alternative documentation styles serve different purposes. Narrative charting provides a comprehensive, continuous account of patient care and is often more verbose, capturing a wide range of events and observations. The problem-oriented medical record focuses on a specific problem-oriented approach, organizing information around patient problems rather than just variances from norm. Focus charting emphasizes specific concerns, strengths, and responses, using a specific framework to document patient interactions. While these methods can be effective in different contexts, they do not share the same emphasis on documenting only deviations from predefined norms, making charting by exception the most appropriate choice for this question.