Re: Dentists: What would you do?


"Dr Steve" <nospam@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gGsBe.1322$dX5.199@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I cannot come in to work the next day, and remove a few pages from the
chart
> and insert newly written ones. In a court, my data can be verified by any
> IT specialist that the data has not been altered after the end-of-day.
> Paper records require expensive and time consuming testing of ink and
paper
> samples to verify approximate time of note creation.
>

I have done quite a bit of work with a old high school classmate who is now
an attorney with a firm that defends dentists in malpractice cases ( a good
guy!). While your comments might be true if a case reaches the point where
experts are called in to analyze data, I have yet to see one where it has
reached that level. Usually the records are taken at face value. If a
handwritten record has erase marks, cross outs, or additions in the margins,
these are readily evident to anyone looking, while something edited on a
computer will be nice and clean and leave no traces of the alterations.

I have seen is a TON of sloppy record keeping and often that, more than
inappropriate care, is what sinks dentists in these kinds of cases. I have
reviewed 100's of records from other offices helping the attorneys assess
any problems the records might present and I can assure you that in many of
these cases if the dentist had a chance to go back and edit his records a
day, a week, or even a month (as some systems allow) later, their legal case
would have been much stronger. Some may see this as good for dentistry, and
while I certainly see a potential up side, I also see it as a way for
someone to cover an ass that may not deserve covering.

I see your point that someone can remove pages from a paper record and write
up new ones, but it is a lot easier to hit backspace and delete a few times.
It also seems to me that for whatever reason people perceive things
differently in the computer world. I know many people who freely download
music from the internet (and not through the pay sites!), knowing they are
violating the law, yet they would never walk into a store and slip a CD with
that music into their pocket because that would be stealing!

We all have powers that can be used for good or evil, and just because some
choose evil, we shouldn't take those powers away from everyone. There are
many benefits to electronic records so please don't think I am being
critical of those who keep electronic records or of digital record systems
in general...I am just making discussion, so don't take any personal
offense.

T


.

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