Changing the records.

[NellieBly]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MA

My 83 year old mother is in the hospital with numerous health issues, although she's not terminally ill. Her doctor is chasing my sisters and I around demanding we sign a DNR. The palliative care doctor assured my sister that he would get Dr. Death to quit harping on it. I am the health care proxy, but obviously my two sisters are her daughters too and we want to make sure we do the right thing. Plus, I will have to admit they are more knowledgeably about, well, everything than I am. Obviously we want the doctors to help her if she's choking on food, or otherwise in distress.

At any rate, my younger sister and I were conversing with the palliative care resident and she said my mother's record had been changed BY DR DEATH to DNR last night. I was there until 8 pm, so it had to be done after that.

I SIGNED NOTHING!

My older sister works for the state crime lab in another state and says this constitutes "tampering with medical records." She said we should report this to the police.

Any thoughts on this? We're also going to ditch Dr. Death.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MA

My 83 year old mother is in the hospital with numerous health issues, although she's not terminally ill. Her doctor is chasing my sisters and I around demanding we sign a DNR. The palliative care doctor assured my sister that he would get Dr. Death to quit harping on it. I am the health care proxy, but obviously my two sisters are her daughters too and we want to make sure we do the right thing. Plus, I will have to admit they are more knowledgeably about, well, everything than I am. Obviously we want the doctors to help her if she's choking on food, or otherwise in distress.

At any rate, my younger sister and I were conversing with the palliative care resident and she said my mother's record had been changed BY DR DEATH to DNR last night. I was there until 8 pm, so it had to be done after that.

I SIGNED NOTHING!

My older sister works for the state crime lab in another state and says this constitutes "tampering with medical records." She said we should report this to the police.

Any thoughts on this? We're also going to ditch Dr. Death.

Have you made a serious complaint to the hospital administrator? Have you made sure that DNR was absolutely removed from her chart?

 

[Dandy Don]

If you stated verbally that you did "obviously want the doctors to help if she's choking on food, or otherwise in distress" then that COULD be interpreted that you did want resuscitation. Instead of going on the warpath, please clarify more clearly to the doctor what you want and negotiate to replace the old DNR with a newer one.

 

[I'mTheFather]

If you stated verbally that you did "obviously want the doctors to help if she's choking on food, or otherwise in distress" then that COULD be interpreted that you did want resuscitation. Instead of going on the warpath, please clarify more clearly to the doctor what you want and negotiate to replace the old DNR with a newer one.

I don't believe there was an old DNR, which is why Nellie is upset that the doctor noted DNR in the chart.

 

[LdiJ]

I don't believe there was an old DNR, which is why Nellie is upset that the doctor noted DNR in the chart.

I think it was quite clear that there was no "old DNR".

 

[NellieBly]

Well, Dr. Death said she was going to take it up with the ethics board. I kept asking if they had any legal authority. She kept saying who they were and I kept asking if they had any legal authority. She admitted they did not.

To cut to the chase, I had the DNR removed, my younger sister contacted the DA, my older sister hired a lawyer and we're going to talk to the palliative care doctor tomorrow. Oh, yeah, I fired Dr. Death.

Makes you wonder who else had their DNR status "updated" and what the result was.

PS, no prior DNR and I did not discuss the choking issue with any medical personnel.

 

[NellieBly]

The DA told my sister to notify the patient representative. Last week some underling told my sister that the patient representative would call her early this week. Now it's Thursday and my sister called the patient representative and was told that the complaint was being handled by the administration. This, I suppose, means there will be no consequences for this crime.


By the way, my sister approached the infection disease doctor about my mother receiving hyperbaric treatment. He said she needed to be discharged from the hospital and be seen there as an outpatient. My sister (who is no slouch) called the hyperbaric place and was told they see inpatients all the time. I was there and witnessed the doctor saying this.

 

[Dandy Don]

You should wait and see how the administration handles this. Just the fact that they are aware of what has happened could mean they will be scrutinizing her actions more carefully so they will know what to do if it happens again. Whether you to choose to file charges about it is up to you.

 

[NellieBly]

You should wait and see how the administration handles this. Just the fact that they are aware of what has happened could mean they will be scrutinizing her actions more carefully so they will know what to do if it happens again. Whether you to choose to file charges about it is up to you.

They most likely will not divulge the result of a personnel matter.