When records are wrong, patients are at risk

<p>"Inaccurate patient records aren’t just an inconvenience. They’re a risk. The EHR might speak for the patient when they cannot speak for themselves, and if it’s wrong, it’s a serious liability.</p> <p>In lieu of any system-wide improvements to EHRs, I try to be vigilant. I ask the medical assistants to review the medication list at every appointment, if I can. Luckily for me, my chart’s problem list is accurate now that the HNHSA diagnosis has been removed. All the same, I worry that if a medical assistant mixes up my conditions and punches in the wrong ICD code again, the chart will suffer. And I worry that if it happens, correcting the issue will prove difficult again.</p> <p>EHRs are wonderful additions to the clinician’s toolbox, and they aid patients in accessing their records and having clear information about their health. However, some adjustments are necessary, including a more effective way to screen for and correct errors, so this tool will always be helpful and do no harm."</p> <p>Denise Reich is a patient advocate.</p> <p>She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "<a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/07/when-records-are-wrong-patients-are-at-risk.html">When records are wrong, patients are at risk</a>."</p> <p><strong>Reflect and <a href="https://earnc.me/4kBFJ4" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME</a> for this episode.</strong></p>