1. Should corrections be date and time stamped?
Yes, it is very important to keep track of when changes are made to an individual’s medical records. Any correction made to confidential medical information should be time and date stamped. In addition, the name of the person who makes the changes should be recorded with the time and date change. should there not be a note of who makes changes to the medical record. An example of the negative consequences of not date and time stamping medical records, electronic or otherwise, is that in a court of law, one’s medical records could be inadmissible due to this simple negligence. A medical malpractice case, in which the patient deserves compensation for being diagnosed incorrectly, or not diagnosed at all, could hinge on this incredibly important detail. Whether or not the patient’s medical records was date and time stamped, as well as signed by the individual working on the patient’s electronic medical record.
2. When should the patient be advised of the existence of computerized databases containing medical information about the patient?
A patient should be advised of the existence of computerized database containing medical information about the patient , before the patient’s physician releases said information to the entity keeping the computer bases. All medical information must be shared with the patient before any treatments are performed, so that the patient may give their informed consent for the treatment or procedure to be administered. If patients were unaware of the existence of their medical information stored in computerized database, they obviously would not have the knowledge to access their own records, which is highly unprofessional and detrimental to the patient’s health care in the future. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), patients have the right to know where their records are being stored and who has access to