ECF
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Electronic Case Files |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Law & Legal, Medical |
ECF has two meanings. It stands for Electronic Case Files (litigation) or Extended care facility (hospital).
Meanings of ECF at a glance
| # | ECF stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electronic Case Files | Law & Legal › Litigation |
| 2 | Extended care facility | Medical › Hospital |
1. Electronic Case Files
Law & Legal · Litigation Abbreviations
Federal judiciary's electronic filing system, part of CM/ECF (Case Management/Electronic Case Files), through which attorneys file pleadings, motions and briefs and receive notice of filings. Each filing receives a docket number cited in briefs as "ECF No."
Example: As explained in Defendant's opening brief, ECF No. 45 at 12, the claim is time-barred.
CM/ECF replaced paper filing across federal courts in the early 2000s. Filers receive a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF), which counts as service on registered users. Courts differ on citation form: "ECF No. 45", "Dkt. 45" or "Doc. 45". Many courts let self-represented litigants request filing access.
2. Extended care facility
Medical · Hospital Abbreviations
General term for a facility providing ongoing nursing or rehabilitative care after a hospital stay, such as a skilled nursing facility or nursing home. It often appears in discharge disposition fields.
Example: Disposition: ECF, report called to receiving nurse at Oak Manor.
"Extended care" was the term used in the original 1965 Medicare law for post-hospital skilled care, later replaced by "skilled nursing facility". Discharge dispositions are coded for billing and quality reporting. Families often use "rehab" or "nursing home" for the same places.
Related abbreviations
More litigation abbreviations
- Dep. – Deposition
- DJ – Declaratory judgment
- Dkt. – Docket
- EBT – Examination before trial
- ENE – Early neutral evaluation
- ER – Excerpts of record
- ESI – Electronically stored information
- EUO – Examination under oath
See all 71 litigation abbreviations →
More hospital abbreviations
- CTICU – Cardiothoracic intensive care unit
- CVICU – Cardiovascular intensive care unit
- DNV – DNV Healthcare
- DON – Director of nursing
- ED – Emergency department
- EVS – Environmental services
- FQHC – Federally qualified health center
- FSED – Freestanding emergency department
See all 89 hospital abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.