In this day in age, everything seems to be electronic. And though you may have a certain way of running your practice that works, you still may want to consider switching over to electronic medical records. Follow along to find out why you should use electronic medical records for your patients and how one of the proficient New York physician defense lawyers at Walker Medical Law can help you with implementing this system.
Why is it important to use electronic medical records for my patients?
In a way, the use of electronic medical records forces you to keep a complete and accurate history of your patients. For one, written medical records are more prone to misinterpretation. This is especially the case if you or any of your staff have illegible handwriting. In addition, if you do not have a foolproof filing system in place, written medical records are more prone to misplacement.
What’s more, oftentimes patients do not want to take the time to write down all of their required information when they arrive at your office. Or sometimes, they may even accidentally forget to add information or provide incorrect information. But by entering into an electronic medical record system, you can easily have their records shared from different healthcare settings.
With that being said, such electronic medical records can save the following pieces of information regarding your patient’s medical history:
- Your patient’s past physical examination(s).
- Your patient’s past diagnoses.
- Your patient’s past treatment plans.
- Your patient’s allergies.
- Your patient’s immunizations.
- Your patient’s prescriptions.
What happens if I do not keep proper medical records for my patients?
Though it may be time-consuming, it is important to keep proper medical records for your and your patients’ sake, whether that means electronic or otherwise. This is because, if you have to stand in front of the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) regarding insufficient records, you will have little to no defense.
With that being said, the following are scenarios in which having proper medical records will come in handy:
- Your patient has still not paid you after their treatment plan has been completed.
- Your patient has questions regarding the items and services that they were billed for.
- Your patient accuses you of fraud in front of the OPMC.
- Your patient accuses you of abuse in front of the OPMC.
All in all, you should retain the services of one of the talented New York physician defense lawyers. We may be able to assess your current medical record system, guide you through an electronic medical record system, or prepare you to stand in front of the OPMC. Regardless of what your case may be, pick up the phone and give us a call today.
