A Study on Medical Laws and External Evaluation Criteria with Reference to the Essential Forms consisting Medical Records and to the Items for Each Medical Record

의료기관 종별 의무기록 중요서식 항목별 작성 실태 및 의무기록 완결점검표 분석

Backgound : This study is to suggest the standardized format of the clinical sheets and the standardized items of every clinical sheet. The standardization of the medical records will increase the faithfullnes of the contents in them and it will contribute to construct the good health information system. Method : From Jan. 1st. 2001 to March 31st 2001, we gathered as many paper clinical sheets as possible by every class of institutions to review the faithfulness of the clinical contents in them. Clinical sheets of 9 tertiary care hospitals, 6 general hospitals and 56 clinics were gathered. Two experienced medical record administrators reviewed them. The review focus was to check whether the items recommend by the hospital standardization review criteria and hospital service evaluation organization were appeared in the clinical sheets and whether the contents of every item were written. Results : Tertiary care hospitals; In case of administrative data, the contents were filled well if the items were fixed. The clinical data like C.C, history,physical examiniation were filled well, but if the items were not fixed, some items were omitted. The result is that more items are to be filled if they are fixed. General hospitals Administrative data were filled more than 50%. Final diagnosis was filled about 66.7%.But other clinical data were not filled well and not many clinical related items were appeared in the sheets.In the legal point of view, the reason for visiting hosptals or the right diagnosis, patient condition at discharge could not be confirmed well.In surgery cases, surgical procedures could not be confirmed well as many surgical related information(surgery time, fluids and blood, number of sponges, biopsy, etc) were omitted. Clinics More than 70% administrative data were filled and fixed as items. Among the clinical related data, laboratory result was the most credible data. But without the right diagnosis, drug orders were given and doctors' written signatures were not appeared over 96.4%. So the clinical sheets cannot be used as a legal document. Conculusion : There was a tendency that the contents were filled well if the items were fixed in the documents, We also suggest a clinical check list to review the completeness and faithfulness of the clinical sheets. If many hospitals use the suggested clincal check list and if they make the necessary items fixed in the clinical sheets, the quality of the medical record will increase dramatically.