Tip #2

Look for a Record Retrieval Company Offering a Litigation-Oriented Case Database

The record retrieval company selected should make use of a litigation-oriented case tracking database.  This will save time by allowing instant access to the current work product, which can be posted for secure viewing and downloading by both the legal nurse consulting firm and law firm staff.

In addition to viewing the work product, other vital information can be communicated through an online case tracking database.  For example:  Deadline dates, deposition or trial dates, dates and names of records received, status of the records reviewed, and names of personnel involved in the case can be included.

Having a case database to track the status of the medical records in the review process makes an efficient use of technology and allows the client to assess the status of the case at any time.  It is especially useful when setting deposition dates.  Furthermore, a review of the case status reflects how near completion the case is in terms of the work product, which many attorneys utilize during deposition.  For this reason, the status of record retrieval should be viewable in real time.

Peg Crowell, MS, RN, APRN-BC, LNCC. Originally printed December, 2005

Updated and Edited: January 2016 by Catherine Beasley, MS, BSN, LNCC

American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC). (Peterson & Kopishke Eds.) (2010) Legal Nurse Consulting: Principles and Practice. (3^rd Ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.