Over the past few decades, the move to electronic medical records brought hope that certain types of medical mistakes would be avoided. It was anticipated, for example, that the danger of mistaken identity for Kentucky patients, and others, would be avoided. However, a recent report suggests that patients are still at risk for this dangerous and potentially deadly form of medical malpractice.
Why Electronic Health Records Don’t Prevent All Cases of Mistaken Identity for Kentucky Patients
Three reasons that patients may still be at risk include:
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology is not uniform
- There is a lack of electronic programming that double checks patient identity
- There is a lack of “old fashioned” follow up by doctors, nurses, or hospital personnel to double check and make sure that they are treating the right person
In some cases, the failure to treat the right person may not result in lasting problems. However, in other cases, it can be deadly.
Call a Kentucky Wrongful Death Lawyer If Your Loved One’s Been Killed
If your loved one has died because he or she received the wrong treatment or drug, or failed to receive the right treatment or drug, then we encourage you to contact an experienced Kentucky wrongful death attorney to learn more about your rights and your possible recovery. We welcome your inquiry via this website or by phone at 800.634.8767 or 502.210.8942.
Mistaken identity of Kentucky patients should never result in a fatality. If this has happened to your loved one, then we will do everything that we can to help you during this difficult time.