By
Greg Garner
You medial information includes private dealings concerning your
care, treatments, physical problems and mental health issues. Your
records will also contain records concerning drug and alcohol use,
pregnancy suspension or any other health issues that are taken care of
by a private or public provider. If your medical records are received by
the wrong entities, it might cause you embarrassment or actually lead
to legal issues. Identity theft of medical records is becoming a huge
problem and you do need to be aware of who you are sharing your
information with and what corrections need to be made.
Steps to Protecting Information
• Keep all copies of medical records in a highly secure location. Preventing unauthorized access is the first step to protection. Use your best judgment and do not give your records to anyone. Use them only for health care and clarification.
• Do not access your health information on public or shared computers. If you must use public computers,download information to a CD or memory stick, delete the information from the pubic computer and ensure that your records have been deleted.
• Keep your records in a safe place. Do not lose your memory stick or disc and do not inform unauthorized people where your medical records are.
• Use encryption or passwords to protect the disc or drive that holds your medical records.
• Always look to see if a site is secure by ensuring that an icon or lock in the browser states that the URL begins with https. This indicates a site that uses encryption.
Correcting Medical Records
It is legal for patients to ask their health re providers and insurances plans to send information and to correct errors. You also have the right to make amendments to medical records. Texas HB 300 classes do give instruction on how you can correct and keep your medical records secure.
If errors on your records are small and insignificant you may want to leave them rather than go through the procedures to correct them. You are also allowed to make hand written corrections of small errors on a separate sheet of paper. If however you believe that incorrect information in your records will affect future diagnoses and treatments make sure your insurance plan and provider will work with you in correcting these errors. You will probably be required to submit your request in writing or use the provider's legal forms. Documentation of the reasons records are incorrect will also be required.
Make copies of your medical records, the reasons why you feel information is incorrect, how you want it corrected, and give the exact corrections. Sign both the copy and the original and have your health care provider sign. If your health care provider refuses to make your corrections, discuss the situation with them and why you believe your records are incorrect. You may have to take steps to have your records legally corrected. There are provisions in Texas HB 300 courses as well as Consumer Privacy Protection Laws to ensure records are correct.
Steps to Protecting Information
• Keep all copies of medical records in a highly secure location. Preventing unauthorized access is the first step to protection. Use your best judgment and do not give your records to anyone. Use them only for health care and clarification.
• Do not access your health information on public or shared computers. If you must use public computers,download information to a CD or memory stick, delete the information from the pubic computer and ensure that your records have been deleted.
• Keep your records in a safe place. Do not lose your memory stick or disc and do not inform unauthorized people where your medical records are.
• Use encryption or passwords to protect the disc or drive that holds your medical records.
• Always look to see if a site is secure by ensuring that an icon or lock in the browser states that the URL begins with https. This indicates a site that uses encryption.
Correcting Medical Records
It is legal for patients to ask their health re providers and insurances plans to send information and to correct errors. You also have the right to make amendments to medical records. Texas HB 300 classes do give instruction on how you can correct and keep your medical records secure.
If errors on your records are small and insignificant you may want to leave them rather than go through the procedures to correct them. You are also allowed to make hand written corrections of small errors on a separate sheet of paper. If however you believe that incorrect information in your records will affect future diagnoses and treatments make sure your insurance plan and provider will work with you in correcting these errors. You will probably be required to submit your request in writing or use the provider's legal forms. Documentation of the reasons records are incorrect will also be required.
Make copies of your medical records, the reasons why you feel information is incorrect, how you want it corrected, and give the exact corrections. Sign both the copy and the original and have your health care provider sign. If your health care provider refuses to make your corrections, discuss the situation with them and why you believe your records are incorrect. You may have to take steps to have your records legally corrected. There are provisions in Texas HB 300 courses as well as Consumer Privacy Protection Laws to ensure records are correct.
For more information, please visit our Texas HB 300 Course website.
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