Diamond Bar Doctor Ordered to Hit the Books

The Medical Board of California issued a public reprimand to a Diamond Bar doctor in July in a settlement for accusations of negligence.

According to Medical Board records, Diamond Bar ear, nose, and throat specialist Dr. Terry Wesley Scott was found to have mismanaged a patient's 2005 sinus surgery as a result of inadequate electronic medical records.

The Medical Board also ordered Scott to take a sinus surgery and medical record-keeping course.

Scott was absolved of negligence accusations in the case after the Board reviewed hand-written office records, which Scott's attorney, Peter R. Osinoff, said clarified Scott's treatment decisions.

"The decision to do two surgeries rather than one was a judgment call," Osinoff said.

According to the Medical Board investigation, Dr. Scott began treating a patient in October of 2005 for complaints of snoring, daytime fatigue, post-nasal drip, and facial pressure.

A first surgery was planned for November of that year and a second was planned at the end of December, during which "a significant amount of bleeding was noted."

The patient was admitted to Doctors Hospital of West Covina two days later, after an evaluation by Dr. Scott and complaints of "altered mental status" from the patient.

The patient was transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center and received further treatment that found excess gas and hemorrhaging on the right side of the patient's brain, which Loma Linda doctors said could have been the result of a prior surgery.

A review ultimately found no problem with the quality of care, Osinoff said, but electronic records were found to be "inadequate and inaccurate."

At the time, the electronic record-keeping system was new to the office, Osinoff said. But the problem is a broader issue for medical professionals.

"I understand the need for instant communication, but I have seen this time and time again," Osinoff said.

Osinoff said the problem is that old notes and conditions can be carried forward in electronic records.

"A patient may have a three-month history of present illness and then three years later show up still with a three-month history of present illness."

Osinoff said a doctor would have to go in to revise each category of the electronic records upon each patient visit to reflect only the present status of the patient.

The initial accusation also asked the Board to consider a previous jail term Dr. Scott served in 2000 after a conviction for filing a false statement in tax return documents.

According to state records, Dr. Scott has held his license since 1985.