How do I get my medical records?

[burgertime]

I've recently had reason to acquire medical records from a doctor I had been seeing a few years back. I set up an appointment and let them know what I was looking for. The doc and I sat in front of the computer printing out the necessary charts and pages, even modifying/removing things that I didn't want to be on there. I guess not all doctors are as cool as this one.

[_jenny_]

freedom of information request. google it. or if you have a good relationship with your doc, you could just try asking him to tell his receptionist to fax/copy them for you. never underestimate the power of just asking for what you want in a polite, respectful and friendly manner.

[oxygalore]

Also, remember it is your right to have them, protected by federal law. If you ever had problems you could contact the board of medical practice and they will get them for you. I had to do it once when a doc retired and couldn't get my medical records.

[exponentially]

I'm curious, what exactly is the reason that Doctors who refuse to release one's records are giving?

[paininthebrain]

I've recently had reason to acquire medical records from a doctor I had been seeing a few years back. I set up an appointment and let them know what I was looking for. The doc and I sat in front of the computer printing out the necessary charts and pages, even modifying/removing things that I didn't want to be on there. I guess not all doctors are as cool as this one.

Wow. That doesn't sound right. Doctors shouldn't be removing things you don't want. Do you mind giving an example of what some types of things he or she removed? You don't have to be specific.

[Lynx4]

Wow. That doesn't sound right. Doctors shouldn't be removing things you don't want. Do you mind giving an example of what some types of things he or she removed? You don't have to be specific.

I know that if you disagree with something a doctor puts in your chart you have the right to put a rebuttal in the file. But you can never go back and change medical records. Doc could lose his job over that and it makes your file incomplete for the next doctor. So I agree with @paininthebrain that I'd like to know nonspecifically what he removed. Just curious.

[cajunbulldog]

The only exception to release of records falls in the mental health category where a doctor has to ok it so its contents do no emotional harm to release.Lynx is correct you can add personal rebuttal statements correcting things in your file.

[misstrepidation]

The only exception to release of records falls in the mental health category where a doctor has to ok it so its contents do no emotional harm to release.Lynx is correct you can add personal rebuttal statements correcting things in your file.

This is correct. Mental health records have a completely different standard with regard to release and require a written form signed by the patient and physician stating specifically to whom the records will be released. So if you had 3 different docs who wanted/needed to see your psych files you'd have to sign individual release forms for each person. Not even a lawyer can get psych records without going through this process.

As for general records, it's baffling that anyone would have a hard time getting 1 set of their records and I will say that more often than not it's not even the doctor causing a problem it's the office staff. I'm actually married to a billing manager who happens to work for my health insurance/hospital and physician network and I still get hassled. Practices are obviously different from one to the next and I am currently seeing a doc whose office staff SUCK and can't wait to change my PCP. They are rude, they bully, and they like to have final say whether they are right or not.

For example: I recently needed to see a specialist and because I just moved, I wanted to see someone in my new neighborhood. My doc's office of course gave me a list of specialists within my insurance network but they were all in my old town.

So I just went to my insurance website and picked someone else who was in my neighborhood. When I called my doc's to make sure they put the referral through, the secretary hassled me bigtime and said I "could not" see that doctor despite the fact that he was in my insurance network. The ultimate reason why she was being like this was because he wasn't local to their office so they couldn't do their easy coordination online (my network of physicians are all connected to the same database, which does make things easy from office to office but...).

After arguing with her she put through a referral but only 1 referral (usually you get 3) meaning each time I need to revisit this specialist I have to go through the same BS all over again. Eventually I got HR involved and they took care of it by calling the secretary and putting her in her place about trying to force me into seeing only a tiny fraction of doctors just to make her life easier.

I can't say how many times I have requested records and been told I had to pay when I know I don't for the first set (this is MA by the way). Some people at hospitals even had the ignorant balls to tell me it wasn't the hospital that was charging but the insurance charged the hospital and the hospital passes that to the patient?!?!

Essentially, a lot of the people you are dealing with to get your records can be just as ignorant to the rules as you so the best bet is to know your rights and the laws.

As for online records storage, I have never heard of these being accessible by patients but it's a great idea. I know a lot of hospitals are working to get things in electronic format which is a formidable undertaking but they always hang onto hard copies even after the electronic process is complete. The majority of them store hard copies at specialized facilities that catalog everything and pull records on request (if they aren't electronic already). The electronic copies are kept on a separate sever accessible only by a crazy secure VPN. For those of you who given personal access to your records, that is pretty cool and hopefully things will move in that direction more quickly.

[LiquidOrgasm]

Could you go to a pain clinic and state you are unable to obtain your medical records for various reasons and still be treated or will they deny you? the clinic I went to before never once asked about medical records just gave me the steroid shots.

[themoshx2]

Your records are your right. There should be no reason to be denied access. I'm pretty much up on the "rights" stuff. Most clinics would require them; or, put you through quite a bit to make sure your condition is legitimate before treating. If so, there would be no reason to flat out deny any treatment at all.

Although, if you are saying you don't want to make them available for one reason or another; there are many places, I'm guessing, for a fee, they wouldn't care one way or the other.

[neversarcastic]

I have successfully obtained copies of my medical records from Scripps they had form that I had to fill out. I had to indicate an additional release permission for psychiatric records. In CA docs have to keep general records for 5 years from what I understand different records have different "keep times" like records for a child must be retained for some years after the child turns 18. I believe the law states something like once you request a copy of your records *in writing* the Dr must provide them in a timely manner some states may have a predetermined time limit for this. The federal law that covers medical record stuff is called HIPAA.

I personally was charged 18 cents per page plus some other fees totalling about $25

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Additionally if a doctor feels that seeing your records (usually pertaining to psych) could upset you to the point of hurting yourself they are allowed to refuse to provide them to you. And I think a lot of Docs are defensive about this because they think people request them when they are thinking of suing them.

[chell55]

I told my doctor's office I needed my records to file for SDI. They could have cared less why I needed them. They were very nice about it. They asked if they could have a week and I said sure. They did charge me $10 for the copies.

My pain clinic wouldn't take me without a referral. I know many clinics are doing that now. I don't think the office sent them many records though cause I had to take them copies of my mri reports.

[Carter]

What I would really like is a way to have all my medical expunged from the records. Some/many large medical offices keep everything on "secure" servers (I belive the Virginia PMP system was hacked a few years ago. Anyway I would be willing to sign whatever legal medical waivers (i.e I won't file a malpractice suit) were needed to get my own copy of everything and have all my records deleted.

Oh well ...just a soapbox post on our slowly decaying rights of privacy.

[olyoxen]

What I would really like is a way to have all my medical expunged from the records. Some/many large medical offices keep everything on "secure" servers (I belive the Virginia PMP system was hacked a few years ago. Anyway I would be willing to sign whatever legal medical waivers (i.e I won't file a malpractice suit) were needed to get my own copy of everything and have all my records deleted.

Oh well ...just a soapbox post on our slowly decaying rights of privacy.

Pretty sure that's never going to happen...

[resorts]

Hi @Carter:

You'll NEVER get ANY Dr to "expunge" your records. They're not keeping records on you for YOUR benefit. They're keeping records to "keep track of YOU!". If everybody got their records expunged the alphabets couldn't keep track of all it's citizens.

What I would really like is a way to have all my medical expunged from the records. Some/many large medical offices keep everything on "secure" servers (I belive the Virginia PMP system was hacked a few years ago. Anyway I would be willing to sign whatever legal medical waivers (i.e I won't file a malpractice suit) were needed to get my own copy of everything and have all my records deleted.

Oh well ...just a soapbox post on our slowly decaying rights of privacy.

[neversarcastic]

I think the only way to "lose" your medical records is to completely stop seeing doctors for 5-10 years and depending on what country you're in that might not work either.

[Carter]

Hi @Carter:

You'll NEVER get ANY Dr to "expunge" your records. They're not keeping records on you for YOUR benefit. They're keeping records to "keep track of YOU!". If everybody got their records expunged the alphabets couldn't keep track of all it's citizens.

@resorts How true! The basic thought behind my original post. I wonder if a plans for a DNA database (of all USA citizens/visitors) are in place. I saw a foriegn couple coming into Miami customs last year that appeared to be European tourists/visitors (all visitors get fingerprinted now), they even fingerprinted the baby...may 6 to 10 months old. Kind of a sorry way to welcome.

[fortgatlin]

Went to the MIB website,but am a little confused. What do they mean by "individually underwritten life, health, or disability income insurance"? Does this exclude health plans offered through most employers? I don't want to spend 2 hrs on the phone with them requesting records they don't have.

I called (the toll-free number on the MIB website). I'm not sure what category I fall under either actually, so I had the same reservations. I poured a cup of coffee, sat back in my desk chair, opened skype and prepared to invest half an hour or so. To my happy surprise, the entire process took 7 minutes and 39 seconds, so don't sweat it. They also say that if they can't find info on you (like maybe in your example) that they will send a letter telling you that no info is available. Hope this helps.

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What I would really like is a way to have all my medical expunged from the records. Some/many large medical offices keep everything on "secure" servers (I belive the Virginia PMP system was hacked a few years ago. Anyway I would be willing to sign whatever legal medical waivers (i.e I won't file a malpractice suit) were needed to get my own copy of everything and have all my records deleted.

Oh well ...just a soapbox post on our slowly decaying rights of privacy.

I had a really good doctor once. And I do mean an actual quality caring physician, who (in his own words) was not a p**** with his script pad, which resulted eventually in him making the 6:00 news as a pill doc (something I REALLY do not believe, I know he had the county mad as he was working with some bodybuilders and pro athletes and a compounding pharmacy in his building which got busted). I called the nurse and asked for my medical records and she gave me an appointment time to come pick them up. Of course, the building was deserted when I got there. For all I know my records were shredded, but I'd really like to know if there's something floating around out there that could come back to haunt me.

[KeithDavid]

With the implementation of electronic medical records, the use of paper records is in decline. Your doctor probably hadn't implemented a system yet as most physicians and hospitals are just getting around to it in the last couple years in order to be compliant by 2014. Hope that helps.

[j2thalea]

Before I moved a couple of years ago, I was easily able to obtain my medical records from both my GP and my psychiatrist. Neither asked for a reason, and only the psychiatrist's office even charged me a fee. It certainly is interesting reading/deciphering a psychiatrist's hand-written notes!

Both neat stacks of paper have been invaluable to me, as I have never had to fight to be prescribed either of the two controlled medications I am prescribed (one by my GP, and one by my psych) regularly, and find the results of my bloodwork, urinalysis, and other regular tests to be of immense importance...

The importance of being your own biggest patient's advocate cannot be overemphasized! I am constantly amazed when I hear of friends whose "compassionate" doctor moved or retired, who find themselves SOL b/c they failed to obtain their own medical records. It is OUR RIGHT, AND our duty- as with voting- to take personal responsibility for our health! Become an educated patient. Doctors will respect you.

In regards to electronic records:
In my state, the only records recorded electronically on a database are the controlled medications which you are prescribed. Additionally, the pharmacies the scripts were filled are listed. (Some doctors DO find it fishy when you use many different pharmacies.)...
I'm not going to pass up the 25 dollar Rite-Aid, CVS, or K-Mart gift cards though! =D