Opinion: It's Your Right To See Your Medical Records. It Shouldn't Be This Hard To Do
"At a time when many insurers and health information technology companies are
busily assembling databases of hundreds of millions of medical records, Americans find it difficult to get access to their own."
"If you try to get yours, be prepared for confusing policies, ill-informed staff, wasted time and high costs. Even then, you may not get the records you seek. And all of this is at odds with your federal rights."
"Last week a relative of mine relayed a typical story. She requested her medical records in digital format, a right endorsed in federal statutes. Now, two months later, she is still struggling to get them. The hospital had contracted with a third party, and evidently this company transacts only through snail mail."
"My colleagues and I have previously investigated records access. In a study published last fall, we surveyed 83 top American hospitals and found discrepancies were common between the policies hospitals described on patient authorization forms and what employees later said to patients on the phone."