medical records

While in the hospital yesterday, I spent many hours alone with nothing to read in the room. They had my medical records sitting next to me, so out of bordom and nothing else to do, I picked it up and read them. Not too long after a nurse came in and totally freaked out and told me how I wasn't suppose to read them .
Now correct me if Im wrong..but those records are about ME. Its not like they are about the guy in the room next to me. What is the big deal about me reading MY records?

are you in the US or UK?

my US dr freaked out at me once.  said i had to request a copy in writing b/f i could see them.  he would only release my records to another dr.  pita.  malpractice?

what did the nurse say when you asked her why?

Im in the UK.
I didnt get a chance to ask her,she saw me looking at them while walking by,came in said you cant blah blah blah and stormed off with them

I've always been very curious to read mine but never had the chance.  Did they say anything besides medical mumbo-jumbo? I just remember an episode of Seinfeld where (I think it was Elaine) read her medical records and it said she was rude, obnoxious... blahhh blahh blahh.. and i was just wondering if they actually write that kinda stuff!

This may be of use:

"How can I access my health records?

If you wish to view your health records it may not be necessary for you to make a formal application to do so. Nothing in the law prevents health professionals from informally showing you your own records. You could make an informal request during a consultation, or by ringing the surgery or hospital and arranging a time to visit and see your records.

However, if you wish to make a formal request to see your health records under the Data Protection Act, you should apply in writing to the holder(s) of the records. If you wish to see your GP records, you should write directly to your GP or to the practice manager. If you wish to see your hospital records, you should write to your hospital Patients Services Manager or Medical Records officer.

You may be charged a fee. The maximum fee that can be charged to provide access and a copy of your records is:

records held totally on computer: up to a maximum £10 charge,
records held in part on computer and in part manually: up to a maximum £50 charge, and
records held totally manually: up to a maximum £50 charge.
The maximum fee that can be charged to provide access to your records (where no copy is required) is:

records held totally on computer: up to a maximum £10 charge, unless the records have been added to in the last 40 days, when no charge can be made,
records held in part on computer and in part manually: up to a maximum £10 charge, unless the records have been added to in the last 40 days, when no charge can be made, and
records held totally manually: up to a maximum £10 charge, unless the records have been added to in the last 40 days, when no charge can be made.
You are entitled by law to receive a response no later than 40 days after your application is received and any relevant fee has been paid. You will then be given an appointment to see your records.

If you have requested a copy of your records it should be written out in a form that is understandable to you - this means that abbreviations or complicated medical terms should be explained. If you still don't understand any part of the record, the health professional holding the record should explain it to you."

From:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Health-records/Pages/What-to-do.aspx

thanks for that. your awesome mapleleafgil!

thanks for that. your awesome mapleleafgil!

No worries. 

Next time, if you want, ask her for the process there to access your records. She could have made the process to access your records there clearer. Sounds like she was unprofessional and defensive.

The company I worked for had to see my medical records before I was hired, so I asked for a copy for myself so I knew what the company would be seeing.

I didn't have a problem at all. I might have had to pay a slight fee for the service; I don't remember.

No worries. 

Next time, if you want, ask her for the process there to access your records. She could have made the process to access your records there clearer. Sounds like she was unprofessional and defensive.

i'd love to know what your understanding of the nursing profession is to call this particular nurse "unprofessional"
medical notes, particularly the hodge podge of papers they call records in the UK often contain, preliminary results, results from other patients and handwritten results. it is the job of medical records to go through the notes and remove anything that is not an official result /note, appropriately identified, signed and dated by a medical professional.
it's easy enough to obtain one's medical records through proper channels and i have done so with my own records. however, as a nurse, i do not allow patients or family members to read confidential information.
ask and you shall recieve.

When I'm at the doctor's, the GP or nurse (whoever I'm seeing) types directly into the computer as they are speaking to me. They never make any attempt to hide what they are typing, and I have looked at what is on the screen without anyone ever objecting.

results from other patients and handwritten results.

hang on ... do you mean someone else's notes getting in there by accident or is this something that happens as a matter of course?

 Back before computers were common in Dr's offices, we had the patient's file in a file folder that was attached to the door of the room they were waiting in to see the Doctor. We had one patient take her medical file and read it. She must not have liked what was written in it because she ripped out all her records and stormed out of the office. We had no backup of her record. She never came back. Maybe this nurse had a similar experience.  We did have other patients who wanted to see their records and we would sit with them while they looked through their file. BTW some Dr's offices have some sort of coding in their files regarding the patient. If a patient saw it they would have any idea what it meant.

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=38419.0

So if a patient questions something a doctor has written about her, she is meddling and shouldn't ask about things she doesn't understand.

If she doesn't, and is injured because of it, it's her own damn fault.

i was discussing this with husband and he mentioned another reason  might be  because a doctor might write something about you that you might not like. for instance saying you seem depressed , or maybe that you are a bit of a handful when you come into the office and etc.

i'd love to know what your understanding of the nursing profession is to call this particular nurse "unprofessional"
medical notes, particularly the hodge podge of papers they call records in the UK often contain, preliminary results, results from other patients and handwritten results. it is the job of medical records to go through the notes and remove anything that is not an official result /note, appropriately identified, signed and dated by a medical professional.
it's easy enough to obtain one's medical records through proper channels and i have done so with my own records. however, as a nurse, i do not allow patients or family members to read confidential information.
ask and you shall recieve.

As I said, it's part of the job to make the process of how to access records clear to the patient. That is part of many professions. It didn't seem like that happened in this case. Making the process of how to access records clear the people that various professions work with is part of the role. I would say it's best practice for records need to be written in mind with the person one is writing about.

Knowing the process of how to access records is all about knowing how to ask to receive.

How does this contradict what you're saying?