From the Headlines: Medical Records Affect More than Your Health

Did you know that you could be denied life insurance or long term care insurance because of an error in your medical record? Financial planner Carolyn McClanahan, who is also a doctor, warns "I don't think consumers know how often errors occur in medical records and how those records can impact them."

McClanahan says even if you aren't denied coverage, you could end up paying higher premiums because of errors or unclear information in your medical record. For example, if a doctor dictates that you suffer from anxiety but fails to state that it is situational anxiety, this lack of detailed information may result in higher premiums.

To read the article in its entirety, visit http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_296221310.html.

It's so important to request a copy of your medical records and check them for accuracy and completeness. It can be a matter of additional and unnecessary cost - but it can also be a matter of life and death.

From the Headlines: Importance of Recertifying Physicians

An article printed September 20, 2007, in Modern Healthcare brings up the need for physicians to participate in Maintenance of Certification, citing "As medical science advances almost daily, lifetime certification no longer suffices to assure quality of care."

http://modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070920/FREE/309210007/0/mostreadmonth

You might wonder what Maintenance of Certification is exactly. "It is a voluntary process, above and beyond licensure, designed to ensure that practicing physicians stay current in their specialties... (it) requires that physicians demonstrate—on an ongoing basis—the knowledge and skills that are needed to deliver excellent care."

The article goes on to explain that many of the country's largest insurance companies are embracing Maintenance of Certification, in part by offering higher plan reimbursements to physicians who opt to participate.

With the complexity of medicine today, this makes nothing but good sense to me. I would want to know that my physician was actively pursuing continuing education and doing everything possible to remain completely up-to-date regarding his/her specialty.

From a documentation standpoint, it is equally as important that other members of the healthcare team make a commitment to lifelong learning. Certified medical transcriptionists (CMT), for example, are required to submit proof of 30 continuing education credits every 3 years in order to maintain their credential. Credits must be spread out over 4 core and 2 complementary areas so that a CMT does not become "lopsided" in their education. With so much emphasis on the privacy and security issues surrounding medical documentation, a minimum of one-fifth of the required credits must be in the medicolegal arena. Another one-fifth must be directed to technology advancements in the industry and other issues directly affecting the workplace. The other core areas are clinical medicine and medical transcription tools.

Without continuing education, transcriptionists and other practitioners cannot exercise sound critical thinking as they perform their jobs. Anyone with the ability to affect patient care should not only be credentialed - but should be commited to ongoing learning.