You may be a go-getter in your professional life, but are you staying on top of your health? If not, you should start now. It would help if you were proactive when maintaining your health, so you should also know how to access your health records. Your electronic health record (EHR) can give you a complete view of your medical history, and it’s easier to access than you might expect.
In this guide to patient access, we’ll tell you how you can stay informed and control your electronic health records.
What Are Electronic Health Records?
An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s medical history maintained by medical providers. It’s a typical medical chart that will include all necessary information regarding a patient’s health electronically.
Different facilities and healthcare agencies can easily share these records. It can help them quickly understand your history, provide better care, and make better decisions. There are many benefits of electronic health records for both healthcare organizations and individuals.
Using electronic health records offers providers more efficiency. The process of managing these records is automated and streamlined. Some of the things that may be included on your electronic health record include your medical history, medications used, treatment plans, diagnoses, immunization dates, allergies, and lab test results.
What You Should Know About Patient Access Rights
It’s necessary to understand your rights regarding EHR information. By law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) require that a medical provider gives you access to your records. If a provider refuses to give you access to your health record, they’ll break the law. If refused, remind them that you have a right under HIPAA to access it.
You also have the right to see the records of anyone else that you have the medical power of attorney over. If you’re legally allowed to make medical decisions for another person, you can also get their health record.
How to Access Your Electronic Health Records
Getting your healthcare record is a relatively simple process, but it will vary based on your provider. Generally, you’ll need to fill out a form known as a health or medical record release form. You’ll need to fill in your information, the purpose of the release, the destination of the records, and more to complete the form.
Some health care providers will have an option for requesting your electronic health record through an online patient portal. With others, you may need to send an email, a letter, or fax to initiate getting access to your health record.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Getting access to your health record may take some time, depending on the provider and your requested date of delivery. Based on federal law, the provider must deliver your health record to you within a 30-day time frame, but you may get access sooner than this.
In some cases, your electronic health record delivery may be delayed up to 30 additional days. If it’s delayed, the health care provider will need to give you a reason.
There are many reasons why it may take a lot of time to get your electronic health records after requesting them. The length of the record, the number of requests the provider, has in a given month, and the number of paper records needed may all affect the delivery time of your health record.
Are There Fees?
You may have to pay a small fee when getting access to your medical record from a health care provider. The provider will typically charge this fee if they’re providing an electronic copy of the record on a CD or USB drive or mailing you a copy of your health record.
Health Care Record Security Tips
Health care providers, health plans, and organizations that act on their behalf must protect and secure your electronic health information under HIPAA rules. However, there are things that you should do to ensure the privacy of your health information as well.
Keep in mind that not all organizations have to follow the HIPAA privacy and security rules. Information stored in a mobile app, mobile device, or social media website is not protected under HIPAA rules. By following these guidelines, you’ll have a better chance of keeping your medical information private and secure.
Use Secure Passwords
Protect your data by ensuring that any online healthcare accounts you have are secured with a strong password. Use Social Media Wisely. Be careful when using social media. Don’t share anything that you don’t want to be public.
Stay Secure on Mobile Devices. Be careful of which apps you use, and read reviews on them before using them. Be wary of sharing medical information in apps, and always read apps’ privacy policies before downloading and using them.
Final Thoughts:
If you want to take control of your health, be sure that you keep this patient access guide in mind. By learning how to access your health records, you’ll be able to stay proactive when managing your health and wellbeing. Need more helpful tips? Please read over our blog now to find more helpful articles and guides.
