Should I Get Medical Records On My Own?

Should I Get Medical Records On My Own?

Should I go get records on my own?  The answer generally is no because there are very specific authorizations because of the federal HIPAA law, the federal privacy law that have to be signed – everything has to be done in a very careful and documented way in order to get the providers to release the records.  So the answer is should you get your own records?  Generally not.  Are there circumstances in which you may?  Sure, but I would always speak to legal counsel first.  If you have a matter that you’re that serious about that you think you want to go get the records, you’re not going to get the records because you want to be entertained by them.  You’re going to get the records because you’re trying to figure out what happened.  So unless you’re a physician, a nurse, or a lawyer who’s knowledgeable about this area, you getting the records for a loved one may not necessarily be the most satisfactory experience because you may not know exactly what you’re looking for.