Richman Quoted in Healthcare Risk Management

July 6, 2017 | Medical Malpractice Defense

David Richman was interviewed for an article entitled, “EMR Faults Can Be Major Factors in Med/Mel Cases,” which appeared in the July 2017 issue of Healthcare Risk Management magazine.

The story discusses the liability risks presented by the use of electronic medical records (EMRs). David noted that some of the features meant to make record-keeping faster and easier actually introduce errors and muddle the facts. Although the latest versions of the software have been improved, he said EMRs still create problems that might not have existed with paper records. “We’re still seeing it, and it’s a pain for the providers, and it’s a pain for us in defending them,” David said.

EMR software can give the mistaken impression that a doctor was tampering with the medical record, he said, noting that most EMRs lock down a note once it is entered, preventing the author from correcting anything in the note. The clinician’s only recourse is to enter an additional note. “The more something has to be explained, the bigger problem you have. You’re no longer explaining the facts of the medical care and you’re trying to explain away what looks at first glance like the doctor was trying to cover his tracks. Those cases are settled purely because of the software and not because of the treatment rendered.”

Share this article:





Related News


Get legal updates and news delivered to your inbox