In the US you're legally entitled to your medical records too but every time I've done it the response is always defensive, ie "why do you need them", "send me the doctors information and I'll fax it to them myself".
I was asked this once after requesting mine. I flatly said "I don't", and waited. The person on the other end of the line was clearly thrown off by this, probably expecting something they could dish out a canned response to, hoping I'd give up. It was obvious from their voice they were scrambling for what to say to that.
A bit of rigmarole later, I had my medical records.
Individual documents/entries, yes. Everything, no.
Whenever I've been asked, I just say "I want them for my files," and I've had no problems.
Sometimes questions like that could actually be an attempt to be helpful. For instance to send along only the needed records rather than a fat file full of extraneous info or save the patient the trouble of being a middleman between two doctors.
This is my thinking, annoying as it can be-I understand and can appreciate this position. It's possibly a matter of how that help is intended to be delivered.
"Why do you need the files?"
versus
"Is there something about your last visit you have questions about/do you have a follow up question for your doctor?"
etc.
I mention this because when I was on hard times financially and fell behind on a few bills I found it quite invasive and annoying when I called, on my own initiative to make a payment only to be asked "Why were you late on this payment?" in a rather abrupt manner. My response has always been "Is this question required for you to process the payment?" to which "No but we have payment options and plans to help individuals who may have fallen on hard times".
Okay, that's fair. I'd be more receptive if that olive branch was offered more delicately than "Why were you late?" which is frankly none of the debtor's damn business.
I'd like to do this myself, but I want to understand what I'm actually entitled to so I can be prepared if they push back.
It’s just way less work to send them directly. And since that’s what most patients are asking for...
However, the law allows the doctors to redact certain portions in your copy that they feel could be harmful to you.
In the past I worked at a medical company, so I was familiar with the joys of DICOM, etc. I paid €20 for a copy of my own brain-scan data on CD-ROM, posted to my house.
Pretty mind-blowing to have access to a scan of my own brain (well blood-vessels at least) on my home PC.
Like what?
Scroll down to "Information Excluded from the Right of Access", particularly the bit about psychotherapy notes.
Also see "Reviewable grounds for denial (45 CFR 164.524(a)(3))", which includes things like "The access requested is reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the individual or another person" or "The access requested is reasonably likely to cause substantial harm to a person (other than a health care provider) referenced in the PHI".
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/2046/under-w...
> Another limited ground for denial exists if a licensed health care professional determines in the exercise of professional judgment that the access requested is reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the individual or another person. For example, a covered entity may deny a suicidal patient access to information that a provider determines in his professional judgment is reasonably likely to lead the patient to take her own life.
On the one hand, you might catch it and treat it earlier. On the other hand, it will color every interaction you have with others and cause stress every time you try to remember something. The potential harm may very well exceed the harm of not telling the patient (up to and including suicide).
If a doctor suspects something but lacks evidence, they may simply make a note to look for more signs at subsequent follow-ups. A patient seeing that may read more into it than is there, and subsequently suffer undue stress or paranoia.
I think those are regularly charged if records are being obtained for legal reasons (e.g. drug/equipment manufacturer lawsuits) but are generally not charged if records are being sent to a new provider. Copies for personal use/records are probably on a per-provider basis.