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How many spend considerable time correcting demographic errors? - Angie

Posted: Mar 21, 2013

I can't believe the number of errors entering the wrong demographics, apparently by the clients, that we have to research and clean up for zero pay!

raises hand Especially looking up patient names. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Could we discuss the legalities of this topic? - Duchess

[ In Reply To ..]
How about using white out? hmmm big NO NO in my book? Am I wrong to think this way? and yet, no one seems to think it is a big deal...patient's name changing from one chart to the next...Nickname used on one, legal name used on the next and then changed back?

Are there any ramifications for these kinds of things that you have no control over? and really don't want control over? If there is, what do I do to protect myself?

not sure what you mean about white out? - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Obviously, if it's the wrong patient's name, that's a problem. However, there is nothing wrong with one note saying "Sandra" and another note saying "Sandy". There are no legal ramifications to this, and there is nothing you have to "protect" yourself from. Not sure what you are talking about.

I'm talking about...sm - Duchess

[ In Reply To ..]
a form in the chart that has the patient's name handwritten and when an error is found, it's whited out. Or when a patient's name is put in legally and then changed again to a nickname...yep, happened, first time it was in as Jane S. Doe, next time the header was Janie S. Doe, along with the form that patient fills in for demographics, completely changed from what it was before....??? very confused here??? but keeping notes for myself just so I know what is correct or not because I care whether it's done right or not.

I see - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You're right, white-out should never be used in medical documents. I also agree that the pt's legal name is the only name that should be on their chart, whether paper or electronic.

That said, I have seen patient charts modified incorrrectly because someone "thought" the name *should* be "Edward" when, in fact, the patient's legal name was "Eddie".

Either way, there is nothing you have to protect yourself from.

In the medical records department...SM - Old Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
where I worked for 9 years, every piece of paper in a patient's chart had an ID on it that was generated from a card (like a credit card) that originated in the admissions office. It included their name, MR#, admission episode, and date of admission. If they had multiple admissions, the MR# remained the same but the episode number would change and become a 2nd chart. Whatever name the patient gave when admitted was taken from 2 forms of ID, usually a license and their health insurance card. We very rarely saw nicknames, but if the patient's name was indeed, Eddie, that is what his admission info reflected. No one changed anything in the medical record as far as demographics. It was not necessary and it was just not done. As far as correcting demongraphics in a transcriptio platform, that's a whole different story. First of all, if a doc keys in the wrong patient ID number, say that of Sally Smith, and her demograhics populate the header, but then starts dictating on Joe Schmoe, we are required to find Joe Schmoe's info and populate the header correctly. There are no legal ramifications to doing this because Joe Schmoe is the correct patient, and his dictation belongs under his name. In fact, we are required to do this. I think the gal with the whiteout is talking apples when we are talking oranges. These are two very different scenarios. I hope you understand white out gal.

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