Insurance defense litigation is highly challenging. Whether the case involves professional liability, personal injury, product liability, mass torts or general insurance defense, this type of lawsuit is complex and demands minute attention to detail. This means that organizing the medical information is very important and attorneys have individual approaches as regards doing this. Medical chronology or a succinct record of medical facts is very important for putting together even complicated information in an organized and useful manner.
- The medical chronology would first have a brief summary that outlines the important medical events. This representation of the flow of events will at once give an overall picture of the core points in the case.
- The next component in the chronology is patient history that gives all details regarding the patient’s medical, social/family history as revealed in the medical records.
- Then there is the detailed medical chronology that presents the exact information obtained from the medical notes without changing any part and without changing the meaning. The information will be captured according to the particular needs of the case. The detailed chronology will have tabulated information as to the date of service, provider of service, place of service, and events/treatments. It will also contain the reviewer’s comments regarding contradicting information and misinterpretation that may be present in the medical records, missing records, and clarifications sought. These comments are usually represented using suitable formatting to distinguish them from the rest of the content.
An accurate medical chronology is priceless; it is useful before and after a suit is filed, during the discovery, pre and post-deposition processes, as well as before and during trial. In fact, it is a cost-effective way of managing vital information throughout the lifetime of a case. That’s not all. With a reliable record of medical encounters, attorneys can analyze the case correctly and identify areas that will prove vulnerable to the opposite party. At the same time, they can avoid unnecessary mistakes that may prove costly.
