Healthcare facilities in Georgia often handle multiple patients. To increase operational efficiency, doctors turn to electronic health records (EHRs) to monitor a patient’s current condition and continue care coordination.
However, doctors can fail to examine your symptoms and track changes properly. Meeting patient quotas can mean copy-pasting your medical history, which risks your safety.
Why copy-pasting EHR details can be dangerous
Your EHR stores your medical history, giving doctors a full view of your past illnesses and current health conditions. The problem is when doctors clone old data into a new entry without editing, which compromises the care you expect. This can lead to errors, including:
- Buried data: The duplicated content can obscure critical, new information.
- Reintroduced errors: Duplication can allow past medical errors or incorrect medications to resurface and create inconsistencies.
- Anchoring bias: Doctors then rely on the copied diagnoses to determine your condition.
When these occur, delayed diagnoses and life-altering complications are possible.
How Georgia medical malpractice law applies to EHR copy-pasting
The law mandates medical providers to deliver a reasonable degree of care and skill during your treatment. While clicks and copied words may seem minimal, a doctor’s lack of scrutiny does not meet the legal standard. This constitutes medical negligence when their lazy habits cause you physical harm.
Taking action is imperative since Georgia has a two-year statute of limitations from the date of your injury to file a claim. But before you may do so, it is crucial to secure a medical expert’s affidavit that confirms your doctor deviated from the standard of care.
Medical malpractice claims require extreme caution
Unlike general injury claims, medical malpractice cases in Georgia have stricter legal barriers to clear. This does not mean that you do not have a chance to hold your doctor responsible for their carelessness. Seeking legal counsel is wise to understand your options moving forward.