Getting records

[CtResident]

Two weeks ago I filled out a form at my pcp's office to have my entire set of records. I used to go to a Woman's center before I went to this pcp, and I'd had my records transferred over to the pcp. So I figured my entire life history would be available to me. I could use all of this to spread out on my kitchen table and see my medical history unfold before me.

No.

I got all my lab reports, MRI's, CT scans, but not the entire enchilada. I had to pay 45 cents per page, only to realize I had most of these reports anyways. What a waste of my money!!!

I also wanted to read the actual doctors' notes. Not in the packet.

I had requested my ENTIRE file. Maybe those notes are their prerogative, they can decide if I am able to read their info?

Can I get a refund?

Suzanne, frugal Yankee, picks up pennies! :-/

[doublevision1]

Does the jurisdiction where you live have legislation regarding individual access to their own personal and medical information?

In Alberta, patients are entitled to obtain any documentation pertaining to themselves on their own medical files, under the Health Information Act.  This applies to whomever holds this information, whether they be public agencies or private organizations.  Other provinces have similar laws.  This is akin to the various information and privacy laws, but specific to medical records.  

There are certain types of information that may be exempted from the act and legally not made available to an individual, but typically only when the disclosure of such information could cause harm to the individual or compromise the privacy of a third party, etc.  Here in Alberta, physician notes of a particular patient would typically be expected to be disclosed to that patient upon request, unless such an exemption applied.  If the holder of the information does not cooperate,  requests can be made for one's own information through formal channels.  One must first demonstrate that they attempted to access their own records directly, so if the physician won't hand them over on a verbal request, you should  send the office a letter being as specific as you can in about the information you want (ie; which records done on what date, etc.)

Fees may be charged for providing copies of records but only a reasonable amount to cover the cost of producing the copies, nothing more.  Again, this applies in Alberta; I'm not sure about other provinces/states.

Perhaps similar laws exist where you live that provide you the right to access the info you are seeking.

db1

[shoshin]

I recently got my records from the first neuro I saw (he retired) and he would not give me the records from neuro #2 which were in my file because he hadn't "signed" them. He said they would be sent to any new doctor I went to, but seemed to imply that he could not give me as the patient the records that came from another doctor so maybe you would have to go back to those old doctors directly. I did get the reports he wrote to my pcp, but not the handwritten exam notes (though I probably couldn't have interpreted much of those anyway based on the other ones I've seen).

I'm sorry you had to pay so much for stuff that was useless. That's happened to me in other situations when trying to get records.