Does a Doctor Have a Duty to Review Past Medical Records?
January 2025
Doctors have a critical responsibility to review a patients' past medcial records and take them into account when providing treatment to a patient. The failure of a doctor to review past medical records can lead to serious and even deadly consequences for the patient. A doctor who disregards or ignores a patient's medical history puts the patient at risk by not having all of the information needed to make a good decision about medical care.
A doctor not only needs to review prior medical records but has an ethical and legal obligation to retain a patients medical records. The maintenance of accurate, current and complete medical records is an essential component of medical care.
Disregarding or failing to properly review patient medical records can have serious repercussions. A failure to review medical records could result in a breach of the standard of care and be considered malpractice. The breach of the standad of care could result in a lawsuit for compensation for the pain and suffering that was caused by the failure to review records.
If you have been injured due to medical negligence, take the time to find experienced trial counsel. At Herrick & Hart, we have been on the side of the injured since 1951. We offer a free consultation on personal injury cases.