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Roman Hasil and the Whanganui DHB - Health and Disability ...

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<strong>Health</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Disability</strong> Commissioner<br />

— Record-keeping<br />

A fundamental element of good medical practice is good record-keeping. Cole’s Medical<br />

Practice in New Zeal<strong>and</strong> states: 37<br />

“[Record-keeping] is a tool for management, for communicating with o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

doctors <strong>and</strong> health professionals, <strong>and</strong> has become <strong>the</strong> primary tool for continuity<br />

of care in many practices as well as in hospitals. To fulfil <strong>the</strong>se tasks, <strong>the</strong> record<br />

must be comprehensive <strong>and</strong> accurate.”<br />

It is a doctor’s responsibility when making a record of a consultation with a patient<br />

(particularly a h<strong>and</strong>written record) to do so in accordance with professional <strong>and</strong> ethical<br />

st<strong>and</strong>ards — which include writing legibly, recording <strong>the</strong> date <strong>and</strong> time, <strong>and</strong> signing <strong>the</strong><br />

notes legibly.<br />

Dr <strong>Hasil</strong> did not complete <strong>the</strong> “Gynaecological record sheet” for his consultation with<br />

Patient A on 1 March 2006, but briefly recorded <strong>the</strong> consultation as follows:<br />

“G 4 P 3 NVD [normal vaginal delivery]<br />

unwanted fertility<br />

gynae examination NAD [no abnormality detected]<br />

PAP taken<br />

for sterilisation”.<br />

His letter to Patient A’s general practitioner reiterated his findings <strong>and</strong> plan.<br />

My advisor stated that Dr <strong>Hasil</strong>’s record of <strong>the</strong> initial outpatient assessment was<br />

inadequate, with minimal clinical history <strong>and</strong> no details of examination. Although a<br />

general consent form was signed at <strong>the</strong> assessment visit, <strong>the</strong>re is no evidence on <strong>the</strong> form<br />

related to specific complications, including failure of sterilisation. Dr B subsequently<br />

recorded that a discussion of <strong>the</strong> risks of surgery <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> giving of an information<br />

pamphlet were “not documented but done” by Dr <strong>Hasil</strong>.<br />

Dr Brown advised that Dr <strong>Hasil</strong>’s record-keeping was inadequate <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />

clinical record sheet for gynaecology patients was not utilised properly. I accept that Dr<br />

<strong>Hasil</strong> did provide some information regarding risks of sterilisation to Patient A.<br />

However, he failed to document his discussion.<br />

I note Dr <strong>Hasil</strong>’s submission that in an inadequately resourced department, it is likely that<br />

st<strong>and</strong>ards for record-keeping will be <strong>the</strong> first failing for any health practitioner. However,<br />

I am satisfied that <strong>the</strong> adequacy of his record-keeping has been considered in context. In<br />

my view Dr <strong>Hasil</strong> should have made more detailed note of his consultation with Patient<br />

A. I consider that his st<strong>and</strong>ard of record-keeping was inadequate <strong>and</strong> that he breached<br />

Right 4(2) of <strong>the</strong> Code.<br />

37 Ian St George (ed), Cole’s Medical Practice in New Zeal<strong>and</strong> (Medical Council of New Zeal<strong>and</strong>, 2004)<br />

p 68.<br />

68 February 2008

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