Electronic medical record cloning is widely used by physicians and vendors to save documentation time, but the Department of Health and Human Services has taken a strong opposition to the practice, which it believes will inflate healthcare costs and increase fraud, according to EHR Intelligence.
A recent study showed that 78 percent of physicians will copy and paste more than a fifth of their patient notes.
Federal officials fear physicians will use the copying and pasting of information to inflate medical claims, either through copying a higher billing code from a previous visit or repeating a service already performed and paid for, according to the report.
A mistake in one record could also be continued or transferred to other records indefinitely before being caught. Cloned documentation also doesn't fit the model federal regulators are seeking for personalized and accountable medical care.
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A recent study showed that 78 percent of physicians will copy and paste more than a fifth of their patient notes.
Federal officials fear physicians will use the copying and pasting of information to inflate medical claims, either through copying a higher billing code from a previous visit or repeating a service already performed and paid for, according to the report.
A mistake in one record could also be continued or transferred to other records indefinitely before being caught. Cloned documentation also doesn't fit the model federal regulators are seeking for personalized and accountable medical care.
More Articles on Coding, Billing and Collections:
AMA: CMS Must Find "Appropriate Replacement" for ICD-9
ICD-10, Healthcare Reform Challenging Health Information Management Strategies
Former Billing Company Owner Fined for Improperly Disposing Medical Records