To be annoyed this is on my medical record multiple times ?

[milkncoffee]

Recently had a baby and had my notes added to online portal
Been reading through and quite shocked.
I have a skin condition. At each of my appts I was asked about it and explained what it was and what treatment I was having. Thought no more of it ....
On my notes for each appt for my entire pregnancy it states ‘chickenpox’
And ‘problem- chickenpox’
Also ‘patient had chickenpox but will not discuss’????? Etc etc

I had chickenpox (badly) as a child !!!
Plus nobody even asked me was it chickenpox and worst of all surely if they suspected it they should have not allowed me in the antenatal clinic etc !!!

Can I ask for the notes to be changed as the way it’s written it sounds like I’ve had it and lied saying it’s a different condition ?

Who the hell thinks you are BU? I wouldn’t want incorrect information in my medical notes either.

Sorry I should have said 🤦‍♀️ I called about it and was told ‘it was what a professional thought so we have to keep it on the notes’

Yes you can ask for it to be changed. I had a mistake on mine which made it sound like I lived a very different lifestyle. I thought nothing of it in my first pregnancy but when it came up inthe notes on my second pregnancy i asked for it to be changed and they did it straight away.

It does look similar to c pox I can see that but it isn’t and I had explained what it was and the treatments I use etc so why each time i went it gets recorded as chickenpox I have no idea

I'd call back and explain how unhappy you are. But unfortunately you'll have to speak to a midwife as reception staff wont want to do it.

Maybe I need to contact pals perhaps it’s just really irritated me mostly as if they thought genuinely it was that they let me sit with other pregnant women!??? It’s dangerous isn’t it

Yes that's definitely something that PALS should help you to get changed.

Yes, use PALS, make the complaint official, escalate it as much as you need to. If they are not challenged, sloppiness will become habitual. Unfortunately there are weak links and poor practise in every profession and industry.

How ridiculous. Perhaps ask if they’d like to write a paper on you for the Lancet as the longest lasting case of chickenpox ever?

If you know the name of your condition then ask for the records to be corrected. If it’s a chronic condition request that it is listed as such and not flagged as an acute problem each time.

I had almost the same thing with my DS! I have a raised scar on my arm that at the time was healing and had left 3 or 4 raised bumps. They looked nothing like chickenpox but had questions everytime my blood was taken/ blood pressure checked. Checked my portal when DS turned 6 months and it was on every single appointment that I was refusing to discuss chickenpox, 'claimed' the marks were a scar (which I had stitches for which was also in my medical record!) and that I was intentionally covering them up with my clothing! Took about a month for PALS to get it sorted but they didn't remove it, only put a note on the file saying it was inconclusive whether it was chicken pox or not. Hope you get a better result!

How the hell could they think you had chicken pox EVERY TIME?? Once maybe, but surely if it’s on your notes they’d see that and think “oh yeah, she probably doesn’t still have chicken pox from two years ago” or whatever. If they don’t look at them, why bother having the notes anyway?

I insisted they check my notes as I thought they were going to throw me in a hazmat suit and cart me off to another hospital but they just brushed it off. Even during checks during labour they all asked. I must've seen about 10 midwives/nurses who all disbelieved me!

They won't change it OP. They will just put a note on your file saying "patient believes blah di blah".

On my notes it gives the dates of all my childhood immunisations throughout the 80s at a surgery in Doncaster. All present and correct.

Except, I moved to the UK in late 1997 and have never been to Doncaster in my entire life. It is demonstrably incorrect but they won't change it.

Personally I wouldn't waste your energy. Medical records often have incorrect information and unless it will directly impact your care or raise a red flag with SS or something, I'd not bother.

Sounds like a propagated error -- got into the record once & keeps getting copied over.

I'd be questioning the ability of a medical professional who thought chickenpox lasted for many months, and didn't think anything of exposing pregnant women to another person with chicken pox.

That is completely bizarre and very frustrating!

Please, confront them about this nonsense being in your medical records.

I know there are incorrect things in my medical notes from my first pregnancy (15 years ago) and although they are minor, it really pisses me off.

I wish now that I had challenged it more, but it seems too late now.

So yanbu and I think you should challenge it.

PALS seem like a good starting point.

I saw my midwife write down unemployed when I was pregnant with my first DC. I wasn’t terribly bothered, but said “oh no, not unemployment, I’m Director of ...”

She made a sort of semi interested noise, but didn’t correct it. I assume she misunderstood me, although I don’t know how.

It sounds very bizzare and like a PP I can't understand who would think you were being unreasonable. Definitely continue to challenge!

By the way how do you get access to your notes? I didn't know you could do this. I'd like to be able to view mine to make sure there are no such blunders!

@happyascarrie that’s so strange sounds so similar ! I can’t work out why they were so sure I had it when I didn’t it’s really weird

It’s called ‘patients know best’ they log everything in there and if you put in a request for your notes it all goes into that and you read everything
Also logs appts etc it’s really good

Oh god

I had a mistake on mine. That got repeated for nearly 20 years.

I asked for it to be taken off. But got told no. Apparently you can request it. But they don’t have to do it.

My midwife asked me about my alcohol consumption I explained that I hardly ever drink any alcohol but might have a small glass of wine with Christmas Dinner. She wrote patient intends to continue to drink alcohol as per pre pregnancy.

I have mistakes on my records that they refuse to correct. When you think about that, it's actually crazy, right?

What other job/institution does this?
Mad!