· Reviewed by: Rebecca K. McDowell, J.D. December 09, 2018. By: Jayne Thompson, LL.B., LL.M. •••. Patient records are legal documents, and the courts do not respond favorably when they have been falsified or tampered with. "Doctored" data can throw into doubt the basis of a diagnosis, the treatment plan and communications with the patient, which in turn can have ….