1 out of 5 patients listed as alive in California electronic health records are actually dead

Surviving in the digital age! Don't we all want to live longer?

"About 20% of patients whose medical records showed them as being alive with a serious illness were in fact deceased, according to California data, leading to hundreds of unnecessary interactions such as appointment reminders, prescription refills and other kinds of wasteful outreach that strain resources and health care workers’ time. ..."

1 out of 5 patients listed as alive in electronic health records are actually dead | UCLA The discrepancy in California records leads to wasteful follow-up outreach, but the solution is hampered by legal issues