5 Questions Answered About Your Medical Records

Every time you go to the doctor information about what happened during your visit is entered into your medical record. As the Director of Health Information Management at Village Medical™, it is my team’s goal to help make sure our patient’s medical records (health information) is accurate and more readily available to our patients, care teams, payers, and others authorized to access it.

 

 

It is especially important that you as a patient understand your medical records – from what is in it to who all has access to it. Here are the top 5 things you should know about your medical records.

Your medical record is a written account of your health history and includes information about both your physical and mental health. It contains basic information like your name and date of birth as well as:

• Medications
• Treatments
• Test results
• Immunizations
• Notes from your health care provider

Under federal and state law, you have a right to access your medical records. If you are a parent, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) generally allows access to a minor child’s medical records until they turn 18; however, there are exceptions under the federal privacy law and some state laws.

To access a patient’s medical records as a caregiver, you must:

• Be the patient’s personal representative.
• Have the authority to act on behalf of the patient in making decisions related to their health care.
• Have the right of access under a medical power of attorney.

You will also need to provide a copy of the medical power of attorney along with a government issued ID to obtain access to the patient's health information.

If your doctor or health care provider has a patient portal, you can view your medical records at any time by logging in to the portal.

There are a few things you should consider before requesting your medical records.

Do I want my entire medical record or just part of it?

Depending on your health and how long you have been seeing that health care provider, your medical records could be more than a hundred pages. If you are switching doctors, you will want to have your entire medical record to give to them. If you are starting a new job or going off to school and need your immunization history, you can ask for a partial record and in this case just ask for your immunization history.

It is important to note that some health care providers charge a fee for copies of medical records.

Who has the medical record I need?

If you see multiple doctors, you will need to reach out to the practice that has the records you want. For example, if you are looking for your immunization history, you would reach out to your primary care doctor’s practice, but if you need information regarding a recent surgery, you will need to reach out to your surgeon’s office to get those records.

At Village Medical, our patients are now able to request their medical records online 24/7. If you need assistance with submitting a request for your medical records, you can call the release of information department Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST at 888-625-2317.

Access to obtain your medical records can vary by health care provider, and you should call the health care provider or visit their website for information on how to access your medical records.

 Release of Information is the process of providing access to a patient’s protected health information (PHI) found in their medical records to an individual or entity authorized to receive it. ROI is critical in healthcare as it allows continuity of care for patients, and this exchange of health information, including PHI, is essential to the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care.

It is important to remember your medical records and the information contained in them are protected under the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and state laws, which regulate when, what, and to whom your health information is released. As there is no standard, uniform privacy law for all 50 states and territories in the United States, and there is a variation of strictness or protectiveness of patient privacy, it is important to know the ROI process may vary from state to state.

While it may vary by health care provider, at Village Medical, the release of information team, part of the Health Information Management department, handles all requests from patients, doctors, payers, researchers, administrators, and others asking to access medical records. They use federal and state laws to determine if the request can be granted.

To learn more about our medical records policy, please visit www.villagemedical.com/medicalrecords.