Hospitals outsource medical transcription for various reasons, including potential cost savings and efficiency gains. However, this practice can introduce risks that could potentially affect patient safety, including contributing to medical errors that could, in some cases, lead to death.
Here’s how outsourcing can be linked to patient deaths:
Transcription Errors: Inaccurate transcription of dictated medical notes can lead to wrong diagnoses, incorrect treatments, inappropriate medication dosages, or omitted critical information like allergies. These errors can have serious consequences for patient safety.
Offshoring and Lower Quality Control: If the transcription work is sent to offshore companies, especially in developing countries, there might be less adherence to strict U.S. medical guidelines and potential HIPAA violations, leading to errors in transcription that could be fatal.
Lack of Control and Accountability: When outsourcing, especially offshore, hospitals may have reduced control over the transcription process and the qualifications of the transcriptionists, potentially impacting quality and creating difficulty in holding companies accountable for mistakes.
In this new “Justice in America” Network TV Series, our investigative news team is on location in Mobile, Alabama reporting on how a “Typo” in Sharon Juno’s transcription, resulted in her unnecessary death, at Alabama-based Thomas hospital
Sharon Juno, a 59-year-old woman and a diabetic since age 4, went to Thomas Hospital in Fairhope Alabama in March 2008 because the access port for her kidney dialysis became clogged.
At the hospital she experienced some complications, so she stayed there for a week and was then sent to Mercy Medical (an inpatient rehabilitation facility) near her home in Daphne, Alabama to get her strength back.
Sharron’s doctor reviewed her medical chart and certified on a form the medication and dosages that she should take. He then dictated that same information for his hospital discharge summary. Without the physician’s knowledge, the summary was outsourced to India to be transcribed.
The summary was transcribed at two locations in India. The transcript that came back from India contained several critical errors – including a misstatement of the dosage of Levemir insulin the patient was to receive during her follow-up care. The doctor had dictated 8 units, but the dosage was incorrectly transcribed as 80 units.
Sharon Juno passed away after receiving a dose ten times what it should be. The jury’s anger at the defendants – Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, Ala. and the outsourcing companies it contracted with – drove the $140 million verdict. .
The error was repeated in the admission paperwork the hospital sent to the rehab facility the woman went to after her discharge from the hospital.
The family of Sharron Juno, 59 at the time of her death, was awarded the largest civil wrongful death judgment in Baldwin County’s history, $140 Million dollars
In this new “Justice in America” Network TV Special, our news team sits down with the lead attorney, Skip Finkbohner III, Partner @ Cunningham Bounds, and some of his team of investigators, who literally had to scour the earth including trying to depose the ‘medical transcribers’ in India.
Guess what… the medical transcribing company never showed up despite a court order
When outsourcing medical transcription, hospitals should diligently vet potential partners and ensure they adhere to HIPAA compliance, employ qualified personnel, and maintain robust quality control measures to minimize risks to patient safety.
The key takeaway is that while outsourcing can offer benefits, patient safety must remain the paramount concern. Hospitals outsourcing medical transcription need to implement stringent safeguards and oversight to minimize the potential for errors and their devastating consequence.
Skip has earned the highest respect from citizens and lawyers alike…. as one of the best Trial lawyers in Mobile…. In Alabama….. and across America.
His goals….. Not ONLY To get Justice for his clients…but to make sure that everyone is treated with equal respect and dignity as guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States.
Skip has built a substantial reputation by consistently winning cases other law firms have turned down. His amazing courtroom skills and headline grabbing success rate continue to provide his clients with the results they need……And the results they deserve.
You can contact Skip Finkbohner @ Cunningham Bounds LLC https://www.cunninghambounds.com/ and 251-471-6191