[Magdalen] Medical Records Ownership.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

There's an interesting and lengthy article in The USA periodical,
"Medical Economics."  The article surveys the present situation  about
who "owns" medical records, the patient or the provider/hospital.
 
This is actually an area of considerable flux right now with the  massive
USA transition from paper medical records to electronic, a change
that was mandated some years ago, but has been slow to enforce
secondary to the resistance of both providers and hospitals.
 
Presently, about half the US states have a law specifying ownership
of medical records by the provider/hospital, and the other half have
no laws about the subject at all with the exception of New Hampshire
that specifies patient ownership.
 
To me, this question is a tempest in a teapot.  Since a copy of  the
entire and complete medical record to the patient is already  mandated
by HIPPA regulations.
 
I always viewed medical records as a way for me to recall the
patient and his/her diagnosis and treatment.  If the patient  wanted
copies, that was provided.  I didn't view the records as a source  of
patient self-information, though I was increasingly aware that  the
moment I signed off on an electronic patient note, the patient was
reading it on line.  What I found happening with such patients is 
that they frequently misinterpreted medical information, resulting
in calls/visits to straighten out misconceptions.
 
 
David Strang.