Patients Need Advocates Who Can Help Them Review Their Records to Improve Patient Safety

Interestingly, progress notes are more challenging than one might expect. Notice the notes excerpt from the Progress of an inpatient T-6 Complete Paraplegic Patient. The creator of the notes indicates: 'Patient denies: leg pain, pain with walking... Patient denies: pain, weakness... Patient denies: PARALYSIS... tingling, numbness, tremors.' Perhaps if it appeared on one page then there would be a clerical issue to deal with that might lead to inappropriate care or measures taken. But these notes appear over and over again in the patient's notes.