Re: Medical Records: Refusal to Release by Hospital

[Guest guest]

Laurie,

Because of the new HIPPA law healthcare facilities are unable to release any

information with out a written consent from you. Now you should be able to go

to the hospital yourself and pick up your films and videos and them take them to

the new GI but they will not send them with verbal consent only. You are

allowed 1 free copy of your medical records.

Hope this helps

Patty Duley

[Guest guest]

Did you sign a release form. That is all you need to do. I sometimes

go to the hospital and get the records myself and hand carry them the

the Dr. that needs them. Simply the hospital need your premission to

release those records.

Walt

> About a month ago I asked my surgeon to review my video tapes

> and radiology films that were done at another hospital. These

> videos were taken during my ERCPs / EUSs and stenting. My

> intention was for my surgeon to study the videos and films to see

> if there is something that catches a surgeons eye that the

> endoscopist may have missed (The GI guy ultmately said that

> there is nothing he can do; that the pain was either in my head or

> originates from some other cause). I just received a phone call

> from the surgeons office saying that the other hospital is

> refusing to release these videos and films to him. Now I

> understand that it is harder to get these (more effort involved to

> get the originals, etc) and that it most likely involves " checking

> out " the stuff on a loan basis.....but can they outright refuse to

> allow my surgeon to look at them? I was under the impression

> that videos and radiology films were like paper medical records:

> that is, they are " owned " by me and I have the right to see them

> or give permission for other docs to see them. Any thoughts on

> what I should do to get these records? (short of hiring a lawyer

> that is).

>

> Laurie

[Guest guest]

Yep, signed the release form and meticuously spelled out what

they can and cannot release and they released what I said not to

and didn't release what I requested. Typical arrogant hospital

sloppiness.

Laurie

[Guest guest]

Laurie wrote:

> Yep, signed the release form and meticuously spelled out what they can

and cannot release and they released what I said not to and didn't release

what I requested.

Laurie,

First I would go back to the hospital and talk to the person in charge of

records. Question them why they released records that you had requested

NOT to be released, and then ask them why they refused to release records

that you said COULD be released. It may have just been a typical

administrative goof-up. Get the videos and films you want and personally

hand-carry them to the surgeon. Or if he's somewhere else, and needs to see

them early, send them by registered, certified, insured mail.

If the hospital refuses to give them to you, go find yourself an attorney. I

suspect it was probably just an " adminstrative error " where they had someone

who couldn't read simple directions. It seems to be the policy of the business

world to hire one or two of those type of people, just to make our lives more

interesting and to give us something to do with all that spare time that people

think we have.

Good luck.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or opinion

only, and should not be subsituted for consultation with a medical

professional.