Medical Records
Slip and Fall Records: Distinguishing Pre-Existing Conditions From New Injuries
A plaintiff slips and falls on ice, at a grocery store, or in one case I worked on, the plaintiff slipped on a banana peel. Slip-and-fall cases often look straightforward until you examine the medical documentation. How the LNC Helps with Slip and Fall Cases Once you begin reviewing slip and fall records, the picture…
Read MoreCopy-and-Paste in Medical Records: Prevalence, Risks, and How to Spot It Today
Electronic health records (EHRs) have revolutionized healthcare documentation, but they come with a copy-and-paste convenience that is a double-edged sword. Copying forward prior notes can save time for busy clinicians, yet overuse of this shortcut (“cloning” documentation) leads to widespread concerns in patient safety, care quality, and legal liability. Legal nurse consultants, attorneys, and healthcare…
Read MoreTampering with Medical Records
Identifying fraudulent medical records is essential for legal nurse consultants and attorneys alike. It is one of the most critical tasks legal nurse consultants may perform and provides us with the opportunity to use our detailed-oriented skills as we detect tampering with medical records. The discovery of fraudulent medical records changes the entire complexion of…
Read MoreCharting Omissions: Not Documented, Not Done
The cross-examination of the nurse defendant begins with these questions: “What is the purpose of clinical documentation?” “What are the responsibilities of the professional nurse to record in the medical records?” “I direct your attention to the neurovascular flowsheet for 10-12-23. We’ve established that you were taking care of the patient on that date, correct?”…
Read MoreSexual Abuse Cases in Nursing Homes: Hidden Challenges
Does the story behind sexual abuse cases help or harm your case? LNCs and attorney focus on the critical intricacies of nursing home abuse cases, as detailed in the chapter Torn Veils of Protection: The Hidden Challenges of Sexual Abuse Cases in Nursing Homes in Medical Record Analysis, volume 3. Deneene Bradford emphasizes the…
Read MoreMechanisms of Injury in Motor Vehicle Collisions
Mechanisms of Injury in Motor Vehicle Collisions Mechanisms of injury refers to how traumatic forces affect the human body, causing injury. How can LNCs help attorneys with motor vehicle crash cases? You will need an understanding of the various forces exerted upon the vehicles and occupants (humans riding in the vehicle) in multiple configurations of…
Read MoreMedical Record Analysis: A Guide for Attorneys by Expert LNCs
Medical Record Analysis – What is it? How do you decipher the often complex issues associated with medical cases? How do you make sense of often indecipherable medical records? And how do you tease apart the liability of these cases? Have you felt frustrated by the sheer amount of medical details involved in litigation?…
Read MoreDME Report Writing: A Comparative Analysis
DME Report Writing In Defense Medical Exams (DMEs), the significance of the reports prepared by the examining physician and the Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) who observed the exam cannot be overstated. These reports serve as crucial documentation that can significantly influence the outcome of legal proceedings. Understanding how these reports coincide or differ is essential…
Read MoreDumpster Diving Difficulties
I couldn’t believe what I heard. “The records you just threw away? They are the only copy that exists.” The defense attorney hired my LNC company to create summaries and other work products for a case involving multidistrict litigation. The plaintiffs alleged their back injuries were due to defective pedicle plates and screws. Over 100…
Read MoreYour LNC Report’s Appearance
Your LNC report’s appearance is critical to providing what your client needs. Let’s look at how you can successfully create and present your LNC report. Join me in an aspect of macroscopic editing: finetuning the overall look of the work product. The recommendations below, while specifically written with reports in mind, can apply to any…
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