- Here’s An Opinion On:
- Sarms Australia
Submitted by: Greg Garner
Health information has the potential to improve healthcare and reduce costs while allowing patients to have a greater role in health care management. However, electronic storage and retrieval plus exchange of personal health information pose a great risk to patient privacy. Privacy concerns can be the reasons that health care is not sought.
A major initiative to address privacy issues in regards to transmitting patient records began in 2008 when the questions of consent and notices, the right of patients to access their own records, identification and authentication plus security uses and enforcement penalties were raised.
Further security issues were explored by the Texas state legislature in regards to technology and patient health records. As a result in 2012 Texas HB 300 was signed into legislation and higher definitions of entities as well as higher penalties for non-compliance were signed into law.
Legislation does recognize that patients have the legal right to obtain and correct their records. There are steps needed to obtain copies of health records, what to do if a provider refuses a request, and how to correct and protect health records once they have been obtained.
Getting Individual Health Records
Having copies of medical records will help you manage health care as you desire and according to your own schedule. You can use the information in your records to conduct research online, consult with others and use programs to track health issues.
Having your own records gives you the opportunity to correct for errors. You can request corrections to your records though your provider. Having copies of your records can also save time and redundancy.
Individual patients should be able to receive paper copies of their charts. Electronic copies should also be available if your provider or insurance carrier records electronically. You may also ask you provider if you can access your records online or download to a memory stick.
Individual patients should be able to get stored records that relate to both your physical and mental health. This information includes medical records, billing records, claims records and other information or records your health care provider uses to make decisions about your care. You do not; however have the rights to get copies of psychotherapy notes or information that is considered as part of a lawsuit.
Once you have requested your records, HIPAA as well as Texas HB 300 allows up to thirty days. If the provider does not store your records on site you may have to wait up to sixty days for the request to get filled. There are providers who give you electronic copies of your records in three business days. You may also have access to records over the Internet and these can be given to you the same day.
If you find that it is taking longer than the 30 day specified period, you have the right to ask for a written explanation of the delay. Do be aware that whatever format you request your records, you will probably have to pay a fee to retrieve and receive them. Ensure that all employees who handle patient rewords take Texas HB 300 courses to provide the right forms and information to patients.
About the Author: For more information, please visit our
Texas HB 300 Course
website.
Source:
isnare.com
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