Upset about daughter's incorrect records

[888mom]

I am upset with my daughter's pediatrician's office.  I requested copies of her records since we are moving, and I'm looking at their developmental milestone checklist for all her visits.  Most of those visits, they didn't even go over all the "is she doing this yet?" questions.  They went over a few, but not all that were down on that sheet!  And I remember talking about ones that I had issues with, and discussing how she hadn't reached the milestone yet.  And yet, her records show she was saying 1-5 words at 9 months of age which is total BS because she didn't say a single word until after 25 months of age!  Saying her receptive language was fine at 12 months and she was responding to her name (which again she didn't start doing until around 25 or 26 months).  They didn't even ask me that at 9 months.  What I found out is that their default answer is yes, since the doctors do everything on computers while they are having the visit with you, and if they don't ask a question or change the answer, it just stays yes.  And they told me they wouldn't change the answers in her records.  So I took a pen and corrected everything myself, and will have to have a discussion with the new doctor up where we're moving to.  

I guess I'm not too too mad at the pediatrician.  It's the piece of paper in her records that is really ticking me off. Her records don't mean all that much about all those things.  But, I guess I'm a bit obsessive about having records be truthful.  I'm a scientist by nature, and having incorrect data really really really annoys me.  The fact that something incorrect is officially lurking out there, screaming lies and falsehoods... Okay, I am totally being melodramatic, but it is upsetting me... whether or not it is a sane thing for me to be upset about is another question.  

It doesn't matter too much also because she's been seen by a developmental pediatrician and his records say a lot more than the regular pediatrician's do.  And in the end, when she's grown older, none of the when she did what stuff will matter anyways.  My mom can't remember when I did a single thing.  I was the second oldest.  She remembered and wrote down everything for the oldest and the youngest sibling, but the two in the middle (which includes me) we just got nothing written down because she was too tired raising kids.  Of course, I didn't have a speech and language delay.

Oh, well another thing that bothers me in her records was that one of the immunizations was off, showing that she got two shots of the same thing almost back to back when they were several months apart.  They must have typed the date wrong into the computer.  Good thing I kept a copy of that of my own (a card the doc signed off on every time I brought it with me).  

So, are computers a good thing in today's medical world?  Sure, they can transfer records to other offices digitally, but will they have the records accurate enough?  What if a question that defaults yes or defaults no ends up being a life and death thing?  Like, any allergies?  If the default is no, what if you have an allergy?  Why can't the default be blank?  maybe other offices don't do defaults like this one does???

[margypops]

You are correct to be concerned and should follow up with this matter, and that could include the Doctor ,they surely know whats going on in their Practise and dont they make the notes then. Dont let it go ask some questions.,you wont be alone there would be others who have had the same irresponsibility done to them , and ask your self Why,.its just not good enough. At least you have found out.

[Sally44]

I think you are right to pick up on inaccuracies in your child's health record.  Afterall some other health professionals could read it and make judgements and decisions based on that information, which as you say is incorrect.
Makes me wonder what's in my child's record?