Should I read my medical records?
x-posted from mumblingmadman.com
Before we get to the question about whether or not to read your records. You need a little information. I often get asked, am I allowed to see and read my medical records? The answer to this question is a resounding yes! Under the HIPPA laws (in the US) you can ask to see and\or get a copy of you medical records. You also have the right, under the law, to have corrections added to your records and you control who and under what circumstances your medical records can be released. What is really interesting is that you also have the right to understand those records, meaning that when a ton of medical jargon is used they must explain what it means.
A brief warning. The first time I had my records printed I had just finished extensive therapy. My records contained details of our sessions where my therapist and I discussed my relationship with my spouse and an emotional affair I was involved with. One day, while I was gone, my wife read the printed records. It was very upsetting and took work to heal. Just know that when you print your records they may be read by someone who probably shouldn’t.
I can’t give you the answer as to if you should read you medical records. I do know that, yes it can be disturbing, it will likely be painful and it probably contains information you don’t want to know about yourself. I choose to read mine that first time and after a while it became easier for me to do. I generally request a copy of my medical records every 2-3 months. If you have never had a copy of your records, most clinics and hospitals will give you a free copy for the last year or two, but may charge a “reasonable” fee for records much older. I read my medical records so that I can make corrections when I find errors. Trust me when I write, if you read your records you will probably find errors. Doctors are people too and thus are prone to err just as any person is. Secondly, doctors often dictate notes where information can be lost or the meaning changed during the process.
As a veteran, I am in the process of filing a compensation claim with the government due to physical and mental problems I have relating to the First Gulf War. On examining my records I found notes from the doctor who was on-call when I was hospitalized. In his notes the following sentence appeared. “Mr. _______ says he has had posttraumatic stress disorder from an early age.” My first reaction was pure shock. There was no possible way I had made that statement. How could that possibly even appear in my record? The issue at hand was that this lone mistake would undermine fundamentally my case for compensation. The government would take this statement and use it to prove my problems occurred prior to my service. I have still been unable to get the sentence struck from my records, but ultimately I believe I will prevail, until then I settled for a note added my regular doctor that this statement was false.
I also read my records to better understand myself and my illness. Reading your records may actually improve the productivity of meetings with your doctor. While reading your records you may have to Google a few terms or phrase to figure out what they mean, but once you get accustom to the flow and terminology you will be able to see your illness from your doctor's perspective. Knowing this perspective will allow you to discuss your illness in greater detail. It will arm you with information that you can use to ask educated questions, help guide your own treatment and understand your medications.
What about adding information to my records? I once had a psychiatrist that was awful at taking notes. His comments about our session would never be more than a sentence or two and generally focused on medications. I don’t fault him for this. First the purpose of our meeting was for drug consultation which is what most visits to a psychiatrist are for. Secondly, I know him to have an enormous number of patients. Anyway, when I was seeing both him and a therapist it was easier to read my records, because although his notes were brief, the therapist’s notes would always be detailed. When I was not seeing a therapist I took to writing a summary of what my moods had been, what had taken place in my life and any issues I was having. I then took this printout to my appointment, gave it to my psychiatrist who then had it scanned into my records.
The bottom-line with reading your records is: are you capable of taking a step back and looking at them from the author’s perspective. One of my personal beliefs is that information is power. Knowing your records, means knowing yourself a little better and thus it may be possible to help yourself more when problems arise. But… you may find demons lurking within the pages, be prepared to do battle with them.