EPIC Software

Epic software is used by many hospitals that is HIPPA compliant. It is used to track all additions, modifications, and ensures the complete patient history is recorded. Check out this blog to learn more about EPIC software!

EPIC software is used by many hospitals to track patient care and manage the overall patient experience.  When something goes wrong during a patient stay that leads to long-term injuries or death of the patient, it is highly common that medical malpractice litigation ensues. 

Health Information Personal Privacy Act, HIPPA

The Health Information Personal Privacy Act, commonly referred to as HIPPA, places several important requirements on health care providers.  HIPPA requires that all access to a patient’s electronic medical record commonly referred to as EMR, track all addition, modifications, and allow access while ensuring the complete revision history of the EMR is maintained. 

EMR Audit Log

Audit logs or audit trails are required to ensure that reconstruction of the complete revision history can be established.  EPIC printed reports of patient’s EMR can be produced using various filters that result in a less than complete production of the patient’s full electronic medical records.  Some of the filters that are routinely used include:

  • Date filter to show only the time the patient was receiving care at the healthcare provider
  • Production of only non-confidential notations
  • Production of only the final version of the EMR without the detailed revision history
  • Filter notes exclusive to the named defendant health care providers
  • Filter by department

These filters described previously when used in producing a patient’s EMR result in an incomplete production of the EMR.

Sticky Notes

EPIC has a communication platform known as Sticky Notes. This serves as an instant messaging mode of communication between healthcare workers discussing a specific patient.  EPIC lacks a report that can allow easy printing or export of these notes. This creates a common misperception among health providers that these notes are not part of the legal discoverable record.  In fact, there are other ways to access these sticky notes, which are an important part of documenting the patient care provided.  An in-person inspection of the EMR using a camera to record the user’s screen can allow for obtaining these important communications. These sticky notes are part of the EMR and are subject to preservation by HIPPA. 

On-Site Inspection

During an onsite inspection to obtain the complete EMR, it is important to ensure that the user accessing EPIC has full administrative rights to the system.  In some health care organizations, sticky notes may be accessible only to physicians.  Regardless, obtaining these important communications can be a vital source of information to reveal important events leading up to a lifelong injury or death.

Enigma Forensics has assisted in numerous medical malpractice cases working with either the plaintiff or defendant’s side of litigation. Our experts dig through each record to analyze ultimately to find the “smoking gun!” We call ourselves the data detectives! If you are working on a medical malpractice case and would like to win, call Enigma Forensics at 312-668-0333.

To learn more about Electronic Medical Records check out these blogs.

Electronic Medical Records Manipulated Post Lawsuit

Hiring an expert in electronic medical records (EMR’s) will help uncover record manipulation that will assist law professionals in winning medical malpractice cases for their clients. Check out this blog to see how a Kentucky woman waged a monumental fight against the medical system that failed her!

A site visit by an expert pays off, a Computer Forensic Expert Finds the Smoking Gun in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) audit trail!

Kim Johnson noticed a lump on her right breast and because her mother died of breast cancer she feared the worst. In January 2015, she went to Fleming County Hospital in Flemingsburg, Kentucky, to get a mammogram. When she received a letter from the hospital that proved she had “no evidence of cancer”, this Kentucky mother of eight breathed a huge sigh of relief. Several months had passed and the lump continued to grow so she decided to get a second opinion. She was horrified to learn she has stage 4 cancer.

Sadly, Fleming County Hospital had sent the wrong letter, giving Johnson the all-clear instead of directing her to return for a follow-up examination. In September 2016, Johnson filed a lawsuit against the hospital claiming doctors misdiagnosed her, and that two employees deleted evidence of the letter saying she didn’t have cancer. How did she know this?

She hired a digital forensic expert!

Ms. Johnson and her lawyer’s hired a digital forensic expert skilled in examining EMR audit trails. During a court-ordered on-site visit, they found employee EMR entries that edited the history and deleted the evidence of the erroneous letter claiming that she was cancer-free.

In the wake of the misdiagnosis by the hospital, Ms. Johnson is left with a long battle with cancer. If her cancer would have been recognized at an earlier stage her quality of life would have been different as a result. She trusted the system and it failed her.

Who protects the patient? The HIPPA law ensures accountability

Required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), hospitals and healthcare providers are to maintain an audit trail of all access, entry, and modification of the patient’s EMR to ensure accountability. Hiring a computer forensics expert that has experience with examining Health Information Systems (HIS) and the related EMR audit trails that can make or break your case. Call Enigma Forensics staff today if you think you may have a case requiring similar assistance. 312-668-0333.

To Learn More About EMR Audit Trails