Digital medical records

[Janknitz]

We often tell people here to get copies of their full sleep study and prescription, but that’s never been easy. The request had to be made in writing according to each particular provider’s protocol, there is a significant time lag, and there has to be payment per copied page and for postage unless you can make time to pick it up. Some medical providers ignore or throw roadblocks in the way of getting this basic information.

Not any more. Just before leaving office in 2016, President Obama signed the 20th Century Cures Act. This Act had many useful things. One I am familiar with is this federal law grants disabled adults under age 65 the personal dignity to create their own special needs trust instead of relying on a parent, grandparent, or the court.

But apparently another “sleeping” provision finally took effect on October 6th 2022, granting access to all of one’s own digital medical records. https://www.statnews.com/2022/10/06/hea ... g-records/

That should (we’ll see) make it much easier for the simple task of getting your sleep study and prescription now. I suspect the lengthy delay in implementation was to give healthcare systems the time to set up ways to request and access your records, so hopefully it will be a smoother process now.

[dataq1]

Thanks, useful information.
But does only apply to records that are digitized?

[clownbell]

For what it's worth, I am able to go on my provider's (Kaiser) website and access any records I want including sleep study, download on the spot, and print out if desired. This capability has existed for several years. Provider also has an abbreviated medical summary that can be downloaded if desired (example, for travel).

This would not apply to records generated by other providers used by me prior to Kaiser.

[Janknitz]

Kaiser in my area has always had some limited electronic medical record access online, but I haven't been able to get more than the summaries in the past on the patient portal.

To get the actual medical records required a trip to the Kaiser Medical secretaries' office, filling out a form, and a wait of about a week to have to go back in and pick up the actual copies of medical records or a CD with the records--and there was a charge. I haven't requested anything in a while, so that may have changed in the past few years.

This will be a welcome change, particularly for CPAP prescriptions.

[lynninnj]

Just last week I got a copy of my disk and results for a test I had done in April. Easy peasy and no charge.

I have challenges getting my local hospital network that shares a portal to get info to a provider in a different hospital system. I try to get copies of all my records for myself.

It is my understanding that some of the smaller outfits that weren't absorbed by the big conglomerates are not necessarily required to do everything digitally/electronically but I would imagine that they also can not charge for copies of the docs as part of a law like this?