Medical records are one of the vital corroborating evidence that strengthens the proof that has already been presented in personal injury litigations. Why medical records are important? Medical charts reflect the physical and emotional damages sustained by the claimant, as well as the financial burden he suffers. This in turn helps the plaintiff attorney to seek a deserving settlement or compensation.
Medical records presented as evidence in personal injury claims are excluded from the Hearsay rule, which demands the counsel to cross-examine every witness and document submitted in the court.
If medical records were to follow the Hearsay rule, it would make it necessary for everyone who entered data into the medical record to show up in court and be questioned about the decisions they made, their reasons, and the information they used to support them—a time-consuming and probably impossible process. Due to these practical difficulties, the courts created the business records exclusion to the hearsay rule, which allows documents to be allowed into evidence without the necessity for the people who made the entries to be available for cross-examination.
This blog will discuss in detail on medical records retrieval and the role of medical retrieval services in assisiting law firms and insurance companies in claims.
What is medical record retrieval?
In the event that an individual is involved in a motor vehicle crash and proceeds with an injury claim, his medical records should be obtained to present during the discovery phase. The claimant’s attorney needs to acquire copies of their medical records for the litigation and the process is called medical records retrieval.
There are businesses that support such law firms by offering a service. They have connections with hospitals and healthcare specialists in order to speed up the procedure, guarantee that the patient is able to acquire the medical information in a secure and appropriate manner, in accordance with government healthcare rules of compliance like HIPAA.
You have the right to receive copies of nearly all of your medical records, whether they are electronic or printed, in line with the Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA) of 1996.2.
Despite the fact that HIPAA rules aim to protect your privacy, they are so complex that many clinicians are unsure of how to apply them. Even if you have a right to them, this could make it harder for you to get your records.
In accordance with HIPAA, you have the right to request for medical records if:
- You are the patient or the patient’s parent or legal guardian.
- You are the patient’s advocate or caregiver who has their written consent.
Apart from the primary care physician of an individual, there are few other parties who can retrieve medical records of a patient. This comprises of insurance providers, hospitals, labs, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and billing service firms.
Medical Record Retrieval Process
What is the process of record retrieval?
The first and foremost step in the medical record retrieval process is to be initiated by the concerned patient. In a normal scenario, where the patient needs his records for an insurance claim, records retrieval process is mediated by the insurance carrier.
In such cases, the patient finishes the paper works by signing a HIPAA compliant authorization medical record retrieval form, which is the form for medical records release. A third person obtaining medical records without consent of the patient is illegal and against the HIPAA law.
While proceeding with a personal injury lawsuit, the records retrieval process may be mediated by the attorney or his team who represents the claimant. Medical records retrieval could be carried out by the legal firm through in-house medical records retrieval or could be outsourced to an external agency specialized in medical record retrievals.
Let’s check out how medical record retrieval is done by companies like LezDo TechMed medical records retrieval agency.
The medical records retrieval company collects all the vital documentation from the claimant and then moves ahead with the record retrieval. They communicate with all the medical facilities where the claimant’s medical records are located.
The next step would be submitting requests to the medical facilities to release the records of the claimant. Communication is mainly carried out through fax or emails. The crucial factor would be ensuring that the medical facilities had received the request for medical records release. Once it is confirmed, periodic follow ups would be done. In most of the cases, medical facilities would give an estimated Turn Around Time (TAT) for the release of the medical charts.
Once ready, the medical facilities would intimate the medical records retrieval services. Through scanning, fax or emailing, they would collect all the relevant records for which they pay the medical facilities. Once all the medical records of the claimant are collected, it undergoes a systematic quality audit process to ensure that all the requested information is in the records. With quality audit, the accuracy and legibility of the records are crosschecked.
After quality analysis, medical record retrieval company delivers the entire set of medical records to the legal firm through a secure file sharing system.
Why do insurance companies ask for medical records?
Health insurance companies rarely have access to medical records. Your health insurer has access to the medical records necessary to validate the information you submit, but only to the degree necessary to determine your eligibility for coverage.
Reasons for medical record retrieval by insurance companies are listed below
- Checking the accuracy of application data
- Drafting insurance policies
- Database sharing
- Calculating the claims’ worth
Medical records retrieval for insurance companies involves a form for medical records release, which requires to be signed by the individual involved in the claim. By signing the form, the individual is giving consent to the insurance carrier to retrieve and access his medical records.
Having discusses the medical records retrieval by insurance companies, we would like to remind that, before giving written permission to any insurance company to access and retrieve medical records, it is advisable to contact an attorney.
Insurance companies would aim at reducing the value of a claim and save money by finding the loopholes in the claimant’s medical records. Pre-existing conditions and treatment undergone by the claimant could be negatively utilized by the insurance companies, which may affect the entire claim value.
Medical Record Retrieval for Law Firms
Any personal injury attorney will quickly concede that gathering and organizing medical documents is one of the trickiest and time-consuming duties. Medical records are unavoidable elements in any personal injury lawsuit. Let it be a motor vehicle accident, medical malpractice or a lawsuit stemming from a defective product, medical records of the victim act as strong evidence for the attorneys to prove the damages.
After a detailed discussion with the claimant and careful analysis of the case, a personal injury lawyer would start hunting for suitable evidence that can shoulder the lawsuit and speak for the claimant’s damages. Amongst all the supporting documents, medical records are quite crucial for the lawsuit, as it would directly mirror the pain and suffering of the victim and his financial burden.
Medical records retrieval is done by the attorney or his team with the consent of the claimant. Medical records retrieval companies for lawyers may also assist them in medical records retrieval for injury lawsuits.
On behalf of the claimant, they perform medical records retrieval for lawyers , which then proceeds to the medical record review and analysis process. During medical chart reviewing, the records are dissected and case-related medical evidence is picked out for further proceedings in the lawsuit.
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Benefits of Medical Record Retrieval Outsourcing
Let’s now glide through the benefits of offshoring medical record retrieval to external agencies.
Enhances Case Productivity
When medical record retrieval services are outsourced to legal medical record retrieval companies, it enhances the insurance companies or the attorney teams to have better focus on their core case works. The retrieval process when conducted by medical retrieval specialist team, it results in better outcomes and precision.
By outsourcing the retrieval to a medical record retrieval company, they can better research o the claim rather than spending most of their productive time running after retrieving the complicated medical records.
Retrieves the Entire Records
A busy lawyer or insurance company may overlook one or two important documents because there is so much to handle. To uncover information that is hard to find, they follow up on various records and papers and speak with pertinent individuals.
Offshoring the retrieval process to medical record retrieval services for law firms yields in retrieval of the entire medical records of the claimant without missing any. The best medical record retrieval services in the US conducts regular follow up starting right from the request till the records reaches their hands.
Faster Retrieval
Top medical records retrieval companies hold dedicated resources and teams with expertise and knowledge in navigating the complexities of retrieving medical records from various healthcare providers. Moreover, the best medical record retrieval agency would have established relationships with healthcare providers, and other medical facilities. These advantages can significantly expedite the medical records retrieval process.
Medical record retrieval outsourcing companies utilize technology and medical record retrieval software tools to streamline medical records retrieval processes. This would eliminate manual paperwork, and accelerate the overall process.
Saves Money
Top medical records retrieval companies in USA have cost-effective pricing models and strategies in place that reduces the overall medical record retrieval cost. Attorneys and insurance firms may collaborate with these companies on a per-case or per-record basis instead of hiring specially trained employees or attempting internal resources to manage the retrieval process.
As a result, there is no need for the ongoing salary, benefits, and training expenditures related to maintaining an internal workforce. In order to minimize the cost of medical record retrieval, the outsourcing companies may also have negotiated volume discounts with healthcare providers. This would also reduce the medical record retrieval pricing.
Admin duties such as obtaining records, following up with healthcare providers, organizing and reviewing the information, and supervising the documentation process are all part of the process of retrieving medical records.
Attorneys and insurance companies may decrease the administrative stress on their own employees and more effectively utilize their resources by outsourcing these work to experts companies or service providers.
Minimizes Errors
Medical record retrieval outsourcing companies have a dedicated team of medical retrieval specialists who specialize in retrieving and managing medical records. These professionals are experienced in handling medical records requests and understand the intricacies and requirements of the process. Their expertise helps ensure accurate and efficient retrieval, minimizing the chances of errors.
Offshoring medical record retrieval support to companies providing medical record retrieval for lawyers and insurance firms would ensure standardized processes. These processes are designed to ensure consistency and accuracy throughout retrieval and the chances of errors due to inconsistency are significantly reduced.
Medical records retrieval services often have robust quality control measures in place to verify the accuracy and completeness of the retrieved medical records. It helps to identify and rectify any errors or discrepancies before the records are delivered.
Better Security
Record retrieval outsourcing companies specializing in medical record retrieval often have dedicated teams and advanced systems in place to ensure the security of sensitive patient data. They understand the legal and regulatory requirements surrounding the handling of medical records, including compliance with privacy laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States. These companies invest in robust security measures and employ professionals with expertise in data protection.
Medical record retrieval outsourcing providers typically have secure infrastructure in place to safeguard data. They use encryption protocols, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and other security measures to protect against unauthorized access or data breaches. Their systems are regularly updated and audited to ensure compliance with industry standards and best practices.
When medical records need to be transferred between healthcare providers, outsourcing companies employ secure channels and encrypted protocols for data transmission. This protects the records during transit and reduces the risk of interception or unauthorized access.
Outsourcing providers typically have robust disaster recovery plans in place to mitigate the risk of data loss or damage. They regularly back up medical records and have redundant systems to ensure data availability even in the event of an unforeseen incident or system failure.
Medical record retrieval outsourcing companies understand the importance of compliance with applicable regulations and undergo regular audits to validate their security measures. They often work closely with healthcare organizations to ensure compliance with industry standards and maintain the necessary certifications.
Solo practitioners may spend hours every week sending out requests and entering them into case management software. Alternatively, they might have legal assistants or paralegals taking the lead in these processes. Either way, this could represent dozens of billable hours or staff wages every week.
By outsourcing medical record retrieval to specialized service providers, healthcare organizations can leverage their expertise and infrastructure to enhance the security of patient data. These providers are dedicated to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of medical records, reducing the burden on healthcare organizations and allowing them to focus on their core activities while ensuring data security.
Why LezDo Medical Record Retrieval Services?
With outstanding efficiency and dependability, LezDo’s medical record retrieval services simplify the process of getting vital medical documents. We recognize how critical it is to have quick access to medical records. For legal proceedings, insurance claims, and medical audits, our team of professionals adeptly navigates the intricate process of retrieving medical records with accuracy. The goal of our retrieval procedure is to quickly obtain medical records from a range of healthcare settings, such as clinics, hospitals, and private practices.
We are able to retrieve medical records from a variety of healthcare providers around the states thanks to LezDo’s broad network and connections. We have the know-how to quickly retrieve records, whether they are physically or digitally stored. We customize our retrieval services to each client’s unique needs. We offer specialized solutions to meet the needs of the client. Whether it’s a simple record request or a complex one, we work at the best pace.
We follow stringent compliance guidelines, making sure that every procedure for retrieving medical records complies with pertinent laws like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). During the retrieval procedure, our team makes sure that private medical information is protected.
Looking for expert medical record retrieval services? Connect with LezDo TechMed, one of the top medical record retrieval companies in USA. Check out us on Instagram to know more.
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