What Are the Components of a Medical Case Chronology and How Is It Useful for Attorneys? A medical case chronology is a valuable tool for attorneys handling personal injury cases. A good chronology should include certain specific details.
Medical case chronology plays an important role in personal injury cases that involve complex medical issues. It comprises a detailed report that provides all relevant information in a chronological order, and is typically prepared by people with the required expertise such as medical review professionals and legal nurse consultants. Personal injury attorneys find medical chronologies very useful when preparing their case. The chronology will be used for discovery, during trial preparation, for reporting to the claims adjuster, during witness examination, and for preparation of exhibits. A medical chronology would contain important information such as date and time of visit, healthcare providers, type of medical service, and medical event outcome. The chronology may also include hyperlinks of the referenced www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com
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information. It is vital that medical case chronologies are clear and devoid of medical or legal jargon. All relevant facts should be objectively presented so that a clear insight is obtained regarding the case. The challenge involved in preparing a medical chronology is that important information such as the patient’s preexisting conditions and treatment gaps have to be identified and indicated clearly. Attorneys handling personal injury cases as well as the paralegals entrusted with reviewing the medical records and preparing a chronology may utilize a reliable medical review service. What are the important details to be included in a chronology? •
History of illness of the patient: The relevant history of illness must be included in the chronology. The entire medical history of the patient may not be relevant to the case, and so the reviewer need include only the history relevant to the particular injury.
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Date of injury: This is a very important detail to look for in a medical chronology. Though the attorney may require details of a specific injury only, medical record reviewers may highlight all injuries that are related to that specific injury. The date of injury would enable the attorney to distinguish one injury from another.
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Causation: This comprises the causation or causality of the injury/illness in the patient’s own words.
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Diagnosis:
The
diagnosis/diagnoses
provided
by
the
treating
physician/organization is crucial. In a medical malpractice case, for instance, a wrong diagnosis which led to a negative patient outcome could be a key factor for the case to go to trial. •
Healthcare providers, dates of treatment: In any injury case, information about the treating physicians and dates of service are very important. Such information is typically used during the entire court proceedings.
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Treatment plan followed: This would be made clear via diagnostic reports, lab tests, imaging tests, prescriptions, referrals and so on.
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Earlier treatment if any. Also, any unrelated medical treatment.
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Likelihood of recovery or prognosis.
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Whether thereis any permanent impairment.
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Future medical needs, if any.
Chronologies may also include an analytical commentary, relevant research, definitions of medical terms and expansion of abbreviations.Attorneys find medical chronologies useful in the following ways:
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Identify strong points in the case: Such points are invaluable to the attorney fighting the personal injury case.
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Never miss out on important points: Since a medical record chronology covers all important information, there is little likelihood that the attorney would miss out on vital facts. This also helps avoid costly mistakes in a medico-legal case.
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They can use chronologies during settlement discussions to strengthen their arguments and establish that the medical facts support their case.
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If the case goes to trial, the medical chronology can be used to provide the necessary information to the jury when making an opening statement. It can also be used during closing to reinforce relevant points.
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Chronologies also come in useful when preparing pre-trial motions and motions for summary judgment.
A well-prepared medical case chronology is not just a timeline of medical events; it is a valuable repository of facts. It allows you to have a better understanding of the patient’s medical history. Preparing a good chronology that will prove crucial to the outcome of a case requires a trained workforce, time, and skills specific to the job. It will prove especially useful in complex cases involving multiple healthcare professionals and facilities.
www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com
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