Wiki Cloning/Copy & Paste

[KoBee]

It is my understanding copying information over to a current visit is a time saver but can be a risk. We are running into providers who are copy and paste, cloning, and carrying forward the whole chart note from previous visit to current. Nothing is updated except DOS.

Is that even allowed?

 

[csperoni]

https://www.aapc.com/blog/26280-win-the-battle-of-the-clones/ is a good AAPC article regarding cloned documentation. The basic theory is that is is not permitted. Different MACs may define it slightly differently, but most of them state it's a medical necessity issue.
I realize that for some providers, it makes documentation easier, but there should be no reason to copy and paste an entire note with no changes. You want to copy a summary of the 4 year cancer treatment history rather than type it all in again? Then go ahead, but add another sentence about the CURRENT status since the last note.
In most healthcare organizations, this falls under the compliance umbrella.

 

[jkyles]

This is from a CMS fact sheet published in 2015 (emphasis added):

Cloning—This practice involves copying and pasting previously recorded information from a prior note into a new note, and it is a problem in health care institutions that is not broadly addressed.[16, 17] For example, features like auto-fill and auto-prompts can facilitate and improve provider documentation, but they can also be misused. The medical record must contain documentation showing the differences and the needs of the patient for each visit or encounter. Simply changing the date on the EHR without reflecting what occurred during the actual visit is not acceptable. Using electronic signatures or a personal identification number may help deter some of the possible fraud, waste, and abuse that can occur with increased use of EHRs.[18] In its 2013 work plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) indicated that due to the growing problem of cloning, its staff would be paying close attention to EHR cloning.[19, 20]

While it doesn't have the force of law, I would assume that the claims you describe would be denied if they were subject to a medical review.
You should also check your payer or MAC for information that you can share with physicians.

 

[OpenClaims]

While this isn't illegal, it is also not recommended for liability. Does your EMR have a template system in place for the providers to choose from when doing an encounter note? If the provider is copying and pasting Patient A's information into Patient B's chart, then Patient B request a medical record or sees the note in MyChart, Patient B can now see all of Patient A's information in regards to what is documented on the visit note.