In the healthcare arena, the pivotal role of clinical chart reviews unfurls in the diligent scrutiny of different types of medical records in hospitals, a practice etched in precision and expertise.
The journey traverse through various types of medical charting, a roadmap in the ocean of healthcare documentation where every medical records chart speaks volumes about a patient’s medical history and the care they received.
A medical chart is nothing but a standardized collection of a single person’s medical data, which can be accessed to gather information about the entire medical history of the individual. Medical chart reviews play a key role in a patient’s life in case of personal injury, employee benefits, and medical malpractice.
Healthcare facilities have historically collected and stored medical records, but developments in online data collection have contributed to the creation of personal health records (PHR) maintained by patients themselves, mostly on websites of third parties. This idea is endorsed by US national health administration entities and AHIMA, the American Health Information Management Association.
What is a medical chart?
A medical chart is a collection of valuable clinical and legal information about a patient since childbirth. This medical documentation is done by a physician, nurse, lab technician, or any other member of a patient’s healthcare team.
The medical record charting comprises key clinical data such as demographics, vital signs, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, progress notes, problems, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images, and laboratory and test results.
Therefore, medical charts are otherwise known as patient charts / medical record charts. In modern days these types of medical records and charts are maintained electronically.
Medical records charts play an important role in personal injury litigations. Attorneys will dig out the vital evidence from patinet medical charts with the help of medical record review companies.
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What is Medical Chart Review?
A medical chart review is essentially a deep dive into a patient’s healthcare journey, documented meticulously in their records. It is a significant process where healthcare professionals or insurance companies scrutinize electronic clinical charts or other medical chart collection to gather details or verify information pertaining to the patient’s medical history, the treatments received, and their response to those treatments.
The medical chart review process is done to shoulder medico-legal cases to offer insights and facilitate informed decisions for everyone involved. It focusses the vital medical data that would reflect the damages sustained by the claimant. This in turn would help to offer the best compensation to the plaintiff involved in a personal injury lawsuit.
Different types of medical chart reviews
Knowing what is chart review in healthcare is paramount in handling medico-legal claims. Patient chart reviews is beneficial in various scenarios in medical and legal fields. Let’s now analyze in detail where all the nurse chart reviews play the vital role.
There are various kinds of medical chart reviews, and the reviews are carried out by qualified and skilled experts in the same way. Before deciding how to do a medical chart review, experts choose the right type of clinical chart review.
Chart review for medical needs:
This method of analysis is used by health providers and hospital agencies to hold rates low and assess the appropriateness of treatment. Pre-authorizations and concurrent hospitalization evaluations are the most frequent forms of reviews to assess patient needs, often carried out as part of a use control policy. Applications for non-urgent programs must be completed before they are submitted for authorization.
A licensed physician typically reviews claims for facilities that are not provided by a member’s package and those that are not straightforward. Simultaneous assessments carried out after the hospitalization of the patient are aimed at assessing the planned duration of stay, evaluating whether medically necessary continuing hospitalization is required, and making sure the right quality of treatment is being provided.
Nursing chart reviews are carried out on both sides by the insurance company and also by the hospitals, which are mostly qualified physicians. It is mainly done to prevent the payment denial of the concerned individual.
Chart review for legal purposes:
Lawyers and judges require evidence from a specialist in medico-legal proceedings concerning medical diagnosis and treatment, whether medical care given was sufficient, and whether there was medical neglect or a compromise in medical standards. These examinations are usually performed by an expert medical review panel employed by the prosecutor or defense counsel. Both the necessary patient reports and other documents are checked by the EHR chart review team, and a statement on the medical treatment rendered is prepared.
Chart review for employee benefits and disability claims:
An accident or injury that occurred while working for the private or public sector has to be evaluated, and the claim is approved by the insurance company. In this scenario, the physician chart review is intended to include a medical perspective on the injury of the worker and how it limits him/her from fulfilling their customary duties.
When an employee on the job is injured, even if they are treated by their doctors, it is the insurer who decides whether the claim is valid or not. If the claim is found to be genuine, the insurers may not use a physician’s service. When the claim exceeds a certain limit, the insurers render the service of a physician who is in no way connected to the injured worker.
An assessment of different aspects of the condition and the impact on the length of impairment of the worker and the ability to return to work must be given by the evaluating expert or medical review committee. The causality of the damage to the applicant should be made clear. Apart from chart evaluations, an IME (Independent Medical Test) can also be used by insurers for the disability claim assessment.
Chart review for clinical documentation:
This medical chart analysis is mainly done to ease corrections in the documentation process before a claim is filed with the insurer. Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) involves healthcare experts, and they have to collaborate with a coding team for the best outcomes. Some hospitals have doctors or suppliers providing CDI or doctor advisory programs to examine difficult conditions.
Chart reviews for insurance support:
Such medical record review for insurance companies are mostly carried out to determine how long a person is likely to live and what the risk of death is from medical complications. And in case there is any change in the policy details, chart review for insurance companies will assist with determining the insurance premiums.
What kind of data does a medical chart contain?
A medical chart contains the records of all medical events that occurred in the lifecycle of the patient. It should provide every clinician with an understanding of all that has happened to the patient before, including major and minor diseases, illnesses, and surgeries. It includes
- Surgical history (e.g., date of operation, operative notes)
- Obstetric history: (e.g., pregnancy, pregnancy-induced complications, and pregnancy outcomes)
- Medications and medical allergies
- Family History (e.g., immediate family member health status, cause of death, common family diseases)
- Social History (e.g., community support, close relationships, past and current occupation)
- Habits (e.g., alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, dietary habits, sexual history)
- Immunization Records (e.g., vaccinations, immunoglobulin test)
- Developmental History (e.g., baby’s growth chart, cognitive/intellectual development, motor development, social-emotional development, language development)
- Demographics (e.g., age, religion, occupation, race, contact information)
- Medical encounters (e.g., hospital admissions, specialist consultations, routine check-ups)
Importance of medical chart reviews
During a medical encounter, a medical chart is mandatorily reviewed to know the patient history and present health condition of the injured person. Only by knowing previous medical history, proper treatment can be provided. medical records chart analysis also includes
- Chief complaint
- History of the present illness
- Physical examination (e.g., vital signs, muscle power, organ system examinations)
- Assessment and plan (e.g., diagnosis, treatment).
- Orders and prescriptions
- Progress notes
- Test results (e.g., imaging results, pathology results, specialized testing)
Among these, what type of chart is used to evaluate a patient’s progress and response to treatment over time? Progress notes records the treatment progress and outcome and gains much importance in proving a patient’s health injury and current status.
Types of medical charts for clinic
Do you know the different types of medical reports? Patient-focused data can be found in both computerized and paper-based medical records. The paper-based medical records/patient paper charts are a traditional method of recording patient data where all the pieces of information are updated manually.
Currently, EHR (Electronic Health Record) is mainly used to record patient data as it doesn’t require any additional manpower to retrieve data in written form. It is also used to analyze information in large numbers. The EHR also can support other care-related activities directly or indirectly through various interfaces, including evidence-based decision support, quality management, and outcomes reporting. The types of charting in electronic records ensures more accuracy and clarity.
An EHR also guarantees a patient’s medical chart is never lost and stored in one easy-to-access location. EHR reduces the incidence of medical errors by improving the accuracy and clarity of medical records and coordination of diagnosis and treatment among health providers.
Who has access to medical charts?
A medical chart should be accessed only by the patient and the health care providers specifically interested in her or his care. The medical chart belongs to the patient, and he or she has the right to ensure that the charts are correct or to deny access to them to another person. Patients may require amendments to outdated medical charts from their physicians.
In case of pursuing personal injury litigation, people will need the vital facts in the patients charts to fortify their claims. An experienced medical record outsourcing company can assist in unearthing the strengths of each claim.
Let the evidence speak with our thorough medical record analysis!
Final thoughts
Knowing what is charting in the medical field will tell how important it is.
To achieve a genuine insight into the patient’s medical history, a medical chart review is carried out. They have to be undertaken by qualified medical chart reviewers with the requisite skills and experience. A clear analysis of the medical chart by a medical chart reviewer ensures reliable information and valuable assistance in the medical and legal fields.
Patient medical chart reviews play an integral part in the life of every patient. It rather helps the physician to prescribe the right medication for the patient’s better cure.
Physician chart review services can, in a greater way, contribute to the attorneys finding the right reason for any lawsuit with the help of a medical-legal team. Medical chart review, therefore, is an indication to help the patient on due time, together with the physicians to know the entire health history.
Seek the assistance of medical chart review companies to get perfect chart reviews done by professional chart review nurses and physicians.
