Medical records review is the key process required for attorneys involved in medical malpractice/negligence, mass tort, or personal injury cases. Managing and maintaining medical records efficiently allows attorneys flawless preparation for the pre-litigation stage of the case. Therefore, prior to segregating the merits of the case, attorneys have to give the utmost priority to organizing plaintiffs’ medical records.
This can not only provide clarity in the objective of the case but also reduces the confusion regarding the hierarchy of the multiple cases handled by the attorney. This blog gives an overview of how mismanagement of records can impact the trial process and tips to manage medical records efficiently.
How Poor Management of Medical Records Can Hamper the Preparation of the Case
Medical records are relied upon by attorneys to make legally valid points during the trial process by analyzing the plaintiff’s health information. The data obtained will be discrete if there is improper handling of medical records. This can derail the process of identifying the sequence of medical encounters of the plaintiff which can ultimately be the reason for loopholes in the case. We shall have a look at why efficient management of records is essential.
- Inaccessibility of plaintiff’s health information
Medical records contain the plaintiff’s complete health information. The merits of the case are built around this information. For instance, if there is a diagnostic error, a medical malpractice case can be filed. To defend the case, attorneys have to examine the pre- and post- health condition of the plaintiff. They have to ascertain that the plaintiff didn’t have any prior health issues. If the available medical records are missing or incomplete, it would be difficult for attorneys to identify relevant legal points.
- Loss of time
The trial process has to be completed within a stipulated time to ensure that the plaintiff has been served justice. If there is a delay in analyzing the medical records, there will be a considerable lag in the final verdict in the concerned cases. This can add to the emotional ordeal of the plaintiff. If a major chunk of the time is dedicated to looking for relevant information that may or may not exist in the medical records, attorneys will not be able to channel their efforts for productive tasks. Medical record review for attorneys is essential to judiciously utilize time by properly managing the medical records.
- Could raise suspicion of tampering
If the court exhibits show conflicting information, the discrepancy will be specifically noted by the jury. Inefficiency in managing the records can increase the occurrence of such risks.
Handling and organizing medical records efficiently
It is obvious that attorneys have to do trial preparation for a multitude of cases on a daily basis. Keeping track of the critical health information of the clients can be daunting if medical records are disorganized. Simple medical codes to prescriptions are corroborating evidence in medico-legal cases. The medical records have to be arranged in such a manner that they are quickly accessible and easily referred to.
- Segregate older medical records from newer ones
Medical records consume a lot of digital and physical storage space. Once you are convinced that certain medical records don’t require to be archived, you can dispose of those. If the adjudication of the case is over, there is no need to preserve the records. These have to be weeded out to focus on the lawsuits in the pipeline. Disorganized record systems can be avoided by maintaining digital or physical storage spaces dedicated solely to archiving older records. This can ensure that you have easy accessibility to the current and archived records optimizing legal support to the plaintiff.
- Summarization of medical records
Medical records analysis pertaining to lawsuits concerning medico-legal cases is easier if they are summarized by focusing on case-related information. This can also assist attorneys in identifying missing records prior to the trial and retrieving the same. Specifically, medical records summarization enables attorneys to understand complex medical terms and vocabulary. This can drastically reduce the time required to study the nature and merits of the case.
- Effective labeling of medical records
Attorneys are required to have a comprehensive taxonomy and indexing system to effectively manage the bulk of records. Bates stamping of medical records can be done to easily identify certain notations that need attention while preparing for the trial. Labeling of medical records by bates stamping is the process by which a unique identification number is assigned to each page of the document. This can be referred to while compiling arguments for the case.
- Accurately integrate the medical records of the patients
Entering erroneous data of the plaintiff during the legal process can subvert the successful outcome of the case. Therefore, it is essential to maintain and integrate the medical records based on the priority and gravity of the case.
Attorneys can benefit from the solutions provided by medical review companies. Medical record review services use superior technology to store and manage confidential plaintiff data in a cost-effective manner. This enables attorneys to focus on the merits of the case and ensure that the injured have been delivered justice.
