Dangers of Medical Errors

Medication errors cause thousands of deaths per year due to incorrect medical information.

According to a study conducted in 1999, 44,000 to 98,000 people die needlessly due to medical errors; this makes medical error the 8th leading cause of death in the nation--far exceeding, AIDS, automobile accidents, and breast cancer.

Inaccuracies in medical information occur when medical data is entered into the system incorrectly or if a patient completes medical questionnaires with incorrect personal and medical information.

 Regardless, of why the information was entered incorrectly, an inaccuracy or discrepancy in medical information must be promptly corrected to avoid a potentially dangerous situation, such as a medical misdiagnosis, allergic reaction which could be fatal and other unnecessary occurrences.

Maintaining Accurate Data

Because many hospitals, clinics and other medical establishments are regulated by law to maintain accurate patient data for auditing purposes, medical treatment, insurance claims and other legal liability obligations fixing medical information inaccuracies is on their main priorities to avoid possible malpractice suits and other legal liabilities. In order to fix inaccuracies in medical information follow the steps outlined below.

Identify the inaccuracies by having copy of the inaccurate medical information readily available. In order to fix the inaccurate medical information you must first be able to identify the problem so that it can be resolved. Mark all of the inaccuracies with a red pen or highlighter so that you can easily access the inaccuracies and report them to the proper individual(s).

Accountability is the Key

Contact the establishment where the inaccuracies occurred. Human error is inevitable especially in cases where personal data is captured and input into computer systems from a paper-based record or hand written document.

Once you have contacted the establishment they will correct the inaccuracies in your medical information by authenticating and dating the information; many times when medical information is inaccurate it will remain in the system, but will be overridden by the correct information; this is known as pre and post change data and is necessary for audit trails. An audit trail is a list of activities performed on a computer using medical software which holds patient data to describe activities that took place by documenting the user, time and date the changes were made, in other words, it is an accountability factor for auditing purposes. Use the following protocol to ensure medical inaccuracies are corrected:

• Document the name of the individual(s) you spoke with about fixing the inaccuracies in your medical information; include the time and date you corresponded with them. This information should be stapled to your copy of the inaccurate information for future reference.
• Contact your insurance company to inform them of your inaccuracies if this involves information pertinent to your medical insurance. Have the appropriate information available, such as your EOB (Explanation of Benefits) and any other documents that contain the inaccurate information.
• Fax a copy of the inaccurate medical information to the appropriate establishment and record the date and time your fax was sent. Be sure to call and confirm that your faxed was received and document the name of the individual you spoke with to obtain confirmation.