Adding to my new experiences as a patient, I have now run into heretofore unforeseen side of the HIPAA monster. As a patient, it should be protecting me, right? Of course not! Legislated in part to protect privacy, HIPAA is one of the most misunderstood and abused laws by healthcare personnel, particularly clerical staff at the front lines of the patient-physician records interface who may not have much of a healthcare (or all that much educational) background to boot.His insight into the enforcement of HIPAA is an excellent read.
To read the full post: Mexico Medical Student - Hostile HIPAA
It is funny, not ha ha ha funny, to see other people encounter this problem. It is very important to have your own medical records these days, more than people in general know.
ReplyDeleteIf I am hospitalized I go to the facility and get my records the day I leave (if possible). When I have an MRI or CT, I ask the technician to run my a copy on CD while I am there. I put my fax number on all labwork slips, but usually have to jump through hoops to get the results even though the facility doesn't know it is my own fax number and not the doctors. Eight out of 10 times the results are not sent. I imagine that it happens regularly and people just don't know that the results weren't sent. Crazy stuff.