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Alicia Chang, a science writer for Associated Press, writes about recent discussions among physicians about mistakes in patient medical records. She recounts one doctor who, upon visiting a specialist, out of curiosity examined his own personal medical record. He was surprised to find a note saying he had a stroke. He never had one. Chang says,

Medical chart blunders are not uncommon. Sometimes, the mistakes can be harmless, but others such as an inaccurate diagnosis or a wrong medication could have serious consequences.

Errors can creep into medical charts in various ways. Doctors are often under time pressure and may find themselves taking shortcuts or not fully listening to a patient’s problems. Others rely on their memory to update their patients’ files at the end of the day. Other mistakes can arise from illegible handwriting or coding problems.

And while electronic medical records can help with accuracy, you know the old saying — garbage in, garbage out — still applies.

Mistakes in the medical record are serious business and have implications for the care you may receive. And while health experts recommend that patients periodically check their medical records, just navigating that record as well as understanding what you are reading, may be asking a lot from patients.