Following the Consumer Protection Act 1986 and its amendment in 1993, which brought doctors under its purview following the landmark decision of the Honorable Supreme Court, medical records have become crucial to any medicolegal proceeding in the court. A medical record qualifies as legal document/evidence in a medicolegal case. Well-maintained medical records guide legal judgment and are often the best defense for healthcare providers (HCPs) against false allegations, while poor or substandard records serve as an effective alibi for the complainant/patient.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance that every HCP accurately records the entire course of medical intervention done for a patient and maintains those records properly. Here is a medicolegal case wherein a hospital was ordered by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to compensate a deceased patient’s family…
