LOOK BOTH WAYS

Do you remember being taught to look both ways when crossing the street?? I do. I thought I was pretty conscious of following this safety rule.? That is until I went to London to visit my daughter.? I made sure to look to the right before crossing the road. Did you know that people in England drive on the wrong side of the road?? Yes, looking at something from only one direction is biased and can lead to problems.? The Brits have graciously painted their curbs and streets to remind tourists to look both ways.

This life lesson is also appropriate for LNCs.? Some LNCs tend to look one way when reviewing a medical record.? If the case came for a plaintiff's attorney, then she focuses on entries, statements, and lab actions that will support the plaintiff’s case.? If the call comes from the defense, she looks at the medical records from the viewpoint of the other side.? Will she see the “car coming from the other direction”?

What is the added value in looking both ways?? First, It may reveal your unrecognized biases.? If you only work for the plaintiff or only work for the defense there is a danger of becoming biased.? We know what we are looking for and know where to find it.? We even keep faster at this skill and we follow the same path each time.? But, we may not recognize our bias in looking for what you think the attorney hopes to find.? You can miss the car from the other direction or the fact that that disproves your theory.

Looking both ways enables you to see the case strengths and case weaknesses which is critical to your attorney client.? No attorney wants to be blindsided with a theory he had not considered.? Perhaps you trend a rising WBC which you emphatically state is evidence of a severe infection that was misdiagnosed.? Then opposing counsel steps forth and introduces evidence that the patient had rheumatoid arthrosis and records that present past medical records to show his white count rises whenever he has an exacerbation of arthritis.

Attorneys always appreciate the LNC who looks both ways and points out the strengths and weaknesses of each case.? Don’t forget to look both ways!

“I often turn to Kathy for a sound nursing review in my potential medical malpractice cases. She’s very thorough and prompt. Most importantly, she doesn’t expose just the strengths of a case but also its weaknesses. I can recommend Kathy to other attorneys without hesitation.”

-Jeff Rickard, Esq. - Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C.

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