Published by Arfaa Law Group
Medical records are a way to document a patient’s medical history as well as the history of care that person has received by a specific medical professional. These records are vital to ensuring a patient receives adequate care. If you’ve suffered harm due to an error in your medical record or because your medical record was mixed up with another patient’s record, we are here to help. Our Baltimore medical negligence attorneys believe that victims of malpractice deserve full and fair compensation for their injuries and losses.
A study recently conducted by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative has revealed that matching patients to their healthcare records is an ongoing issue in medical facilities across the country. Shockingly, in some places, the current patient match rate could be as low as 50 or 60 percent. The study also found that medical record errors are more common in urban health systems where patients obtain medical care at multiple facilities, indicating a need for more efficient data exchange not just within medical facilities, but also between them.
Mismatched patient records take place when two patients, frequently with a similar name, have their records mixed up by a medical professional. This can lead to a wide range of adverse health consequences for a patient, including, but not limited to: delays in patient care; patients receiving the wrong surgical procedure; patients receiving the wrong medication and an overall increase in healthcare costs. Another type of medical records error takes place when multiple patient records exist for the same patient. Not only are duplicate records inconvenient, they can lead to misinformation and medical professionals providing unnecessary testing and treatment.
A patient who sustains physical, emotional or economic harm because of a healthcare provider’s mistake has the right to seek damages. When mistakes in medical records are the root of patient injury, the injured patient can likely recover monetary damages by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against the at-fault party.
Under Maryland law, healthcare providers must provide care for their patients with the same degree of knowledge, skill and ability as an ordinarily prudent healthcare provider would under the same or similar circumstances. When healthcare providers fail to adhere to this duty by being reckless or making avoidable mistakes, they can be held accountable for the resulting harm. You should be aware that the burden of proof is on the plaintiff to demonstrate, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the healthcare provider’s mistake or subpar care was a direct and proximate cause of his or her harm.
If you have been the victim of malpractice that was caused by an error relating to your medical records, you may be entitled to compensation. At Arfaa Law Group, our diligent and hard-working Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys understand how these types of communication errors can have devastating consequences for a patient’s life. You can take solace in knowing that we are dedicated to holding negligent medical professionals accountable for their careless conduct. For more about your rights, call us today at 410-889-1850 or contact us online.