Memphis Injury Lawyer Blog

The days are past when the search for medical information requires a trip to the local hospital or doctor's office. A wealth of exhaustive information is now available via the World Wide Web or through digital means. Tennessee Vital Records.

Medical Records are now maintained in a variety of different formats. Of course, there is the hard copy which most health care providers still maintain. However, with the advent of digital technology and the internet, new forms of medical records have come to the fore. There are a variety of different software programs which are used by health care providers to archive medical records. Some hospitals use images which are either digitally created or digitally scanned to a server where the images can be viewed and, if necessary, printed or downloaded. Some health care providers are uploading medical records to secure internet sites where the images stored can likewise be viewed and printed, should the necessity arise. However, there are other digital utilities which can be utilized for a physician to catalog his records. Both pocket PC’s and PDA’s have the ability to store patient information and allow for the physician to enter new or different information at the point when services are rendered.

An additional consideration is the utilization of X-rays, CT scans, MRI films and PET scans in digital formal. Some medical records custodians are now able to deliver copies of these various images via the internet or on CD. While the medical community is investing huge sums of money in developing these technologies, most medical records are still maintained on hard copy. When one searches for medical records, there are several different types of medical records which can be overlooked.

The following is intended as a non-exclusive check-list of various medical records, which can be accessed and used for settlement, trial or in an administrative context:

Government Records
Veterans Administration
Health Insurance Claim Records
Health or Life Insurance Physicals
Disability Insurance Records
Federal Aviation Administration
Department of Transportation
Law Enforcement Qualification Examinations
United States Military Records
Private Hospitals & Doctor's Offices
Fitness for Duty or Return to Work Examinations
Pre-Employment Physical Examinations
Third-Party Claims Administrations
Divorce and Child Custody Cases
Genetic Counseling
Dental Examinations
Worker's Compensation Settlement Documents
Home Health Care Records
Ambulatory Surgery Records
Prior Claims and Discovery

One commonly ignored element of complete medical records are diagnostic studies themselves. If a CAT scan has been performed or any other form of tomography used, there exists either a visual representation or a video of the procedure. This is especially true in arthroscopic procedures where a video tape is created at the time of the procedure. This can have an excellent impact on a fact finder for something as minor as the arthroscope of a knee.

There are many methods by which counsel can assure that the records are complete. There are several different software applications which exist solely for the purpose of making a medical records chronology and identifying any gaps which may exist. However, the tried and true method is to prepare what amounts to a spreadsheet that analyzes the dates that services were performed and the bills for those dates of services. These programs can also tracks referrals to and from health care providers.

It must remembered that in order to reach a fair and just result, the injuries, and the permanency of those injuries, must be established. Speculation or guessing is not allowed. Therefore, in order to protect that which you value most, one must work hard to acquire this all important data in a form which can be verified and admitted into evidence.