Avoiding Medical Negligence: The importance of record keeping
January 24, 2011
Posted by:Raquel Siganporia
According to Doctors.net, doctors are being advised on their legal and ethical responsibilities when it comes to record keeping.
The Medical Defence Union has issued guidance on how to avoid the most common pitfalls. It is said that whilst doctors understand the importance of notes they may not appreciate they can be invaluable if a patient complains or brings a claim for medical negligence.
As medical negligence specialists we all too often see that negligent treatment frequently occurs in whole or in part from poor communication and or record keeping. It is vital for medical professionals to keep clear, comprehensive and contemporaneous clinical notes so that colleagues can understand a patient's history and the progress of a treatment plan.
Medical entries provide a base line for what is occurring with the patient. Without contemporaneous notes, mistakes happen all too easily which can lead to catastrophic injuries, most of which could have been avoided.