Clinical record analysis demonstrating untruthfulness is one of the best tools available to convince a jury of judge of the healthcare provider’s guilt.
Often times, medical records suspected of having been falsified can be compared and cross-referenced with other relevant documents. This is called comparative record analysis.
There are a number of different ways of conducting comparative record analysis.
- Comparing a clinical record to itself can reveal that care was not given as documented. The record may report findings or claimed care that are incompatible with each other. E.g., reporting vital signs after the discharge of a patient.
- Comparing the same clinical record from multiple sources can indicate falsification. Clinical records are copied and distributed to multiple sources. When comparing the records that were gathered from multiple sources, it is possible to discover chart entries that were created after a copy of the record was distributed.
- Comparing clinical record to other medical records: A patient can’t be in two places at once. If comparison of a separate care provider’s medical records to the nursing home clinical records reveals simultaneous care, one of those records is falsified.
- Comparing clinical records to payroll records: Nursing homes are required to document and post daily the hours worked by its employees. Most facilities now have computerized payroll systems. The dates and hours in which an employee has worked can be easily accessed and compared to clinical records.
Comparative record analysis is different from forensic document analysis, which consists of a forensic scientist using various scientific tools to definitively prove fraudulence. The principle and application of forensic document analysis will be the focus of the next blog in this series.
For the other parts in this 4-part series, click on the following:
Part 1: Minnesota’s Largest Psychiatric Hospital Caught Falsifying Patient Records
Part 2: Why Clinical Records are Important and Why Providers Falsify Them
Part 4: What Forensic Document Analysis is and How Its Used
Uncovering the truth is the mission of the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm when representing clients harmed by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care. The Kosieradzki Smith Law Firm has the experience and tools needed to uncover the truth. If you believe your loved one has been wronged by a care provider, take action and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
