Three Reasons Why Law Firms Should Outsource Medical Record Retrieval

Hiring an experienced record retrieval service allows law firms and legal entities to focus on what they do best: thoroughly examining cases and preparing information needed for litigation or settlement.

To benefit from the same level of retrieval efficiency and provider relationships that professional services provide, agencies and firms would have to dedicate an excessive amount of resources which could only be implemented at a substantial cost.

Increase Efficiency
The core competency of a retrieval service is to get records quickly, using efficient, cost-effective means. As a result, they consistently retrieve records within days, where lack of time to properly follow up results in firms taking weeks to get records. By freeing up hours previously spent searching for, retrieving and digitizing records, internal staff can spend more time on legal tasks required for litigation or settlement. For many, the most significant benefit results from converting the soft costs incurred by using internal staff into billable expenses.

Leverage the Network
Retrieval companies have thousands of relationships across the country and can work with virtually any record custodian on a firm’s behalf. They manage all of the interactions with providers, taking the burden off paralegals and in-house nurse consultants. They understand the correct authorization forms to use, gather and deliver the appropriate documents, make the initial requests, conduct follow up calls and deliver the records securely. Finally, a law firm makes only one monthly payment to its service provider, instead of multiple payments to all of the providers they requested records from.

Go Green
As the medical industry increasingly moves towards electronic medical records, many law firms have also made the switch to paperless environments and business processes, eliminating the need for filing cabinets and document storage. In addition to environmental sustainability, digital records are easier to search, share, and store. Archives are secure, organized and easily accessible for an indefinite period of time.

Case in Point: A firm benefiting from an outsourced model
A reputable law firm needed to significantly improve its capacity to obtain essential client medical records quicker and more economically. One pharmaceutical case alone included over 1,500 clients, each requiring two to four medical records. The firm implemented a record retrieval solution and immediately increased their ability to take on more cases and pursue large mass tort opportunities.

For law firms and legal entities alike, the amount of work to retrieve medical records can be costly and overwhelming. Yet, these records can be the single most important document(s) needed to build a viable case and substantiate a claim within a reasonable timeframe.

To learn more about Verisk Health’s MediConnect Record Retrieval for legal professionals, please contact an expert.