ERRORS IN MEDICAL RECORDS COULD LEAD TO MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
It is not unheard of for physicians to make mistakes when treating patients in Connecticut or elsewhere in the nation. According to a Johns Hopkins study, each year approximately 250,000 individuals in the United States lose their lives because of a medical mistake. Some of these mistakes can be found in a person’s health records. In fact, according to one researcher, around 70 percent of medical records contain incorrect information. Mistakes can be made when copying and pasting information on electronic medical records, when a physician makes a typo or when a physician mishears something. Mistaken identity could also lead to the wrong information being included in a person’s medical records.
Some people may believe that such errors do not necessarily cause too much harm. Unfortunately, if a mistake in one’s medical records leads to a medication error, an allergic reaction or a misdiagnosis, a person can suffer a worsened condition. In the worst cases, a person could die due to an error in their medical records.
It can be difficult to rectify mistakes in one’s medical record. Physicians may be reluctant to change information in a patient’s medical record, for fear of being sued for medical malpractice. Some physicians may also be under the belief that the patient is either lying to them or is hiding information. The fact that there are numerous medical record vendors also makes fixing the issue of errors in medical records more difficult.
Unfortunately, when a mistake in a person’s medical record leads to a worsened condition, that person could suffer numerous damages. Not only has their health been made worse, but they may have incurred significant medical bills related to treating the mistake. In addition, they may be unable to work and they may even suffer a permanent disability. Therefore, if a physician’s negligence leads to an error in a patient’s medical records that cause the patient harm, the patient may want to determine if they have grounds to pursue a medical malpractice claim.
