Can other doctors see my medical records without my written consent?

Question

If I am seeing one doctor then I see another doctor at a different office a few years later does the latter doctor have access to see my medical record from the former?

Is it part of normal new patient documentation for a physician to get access to this information? Basically I want to know about how my medical history is stored...are all the notes and stuff my doctor takes put into a computer where my new doctor or the hopspital can just pull up? What can just be pulled up and what requires special consent?

Thanks

you guys aren't answering my question, i want to know EXACTLY what they can and can't see. can they see the medications and tests but not doctors notes, can they see it all...i want to know what they can see and how they can see it.....freely available on the computer? do they have to request it from my previous physician? If i dont list a previous physician, can they still find out who it is and just request it anyways? is it common for them to request it?

for the last guy that answered, thats a great answer except can you tell me.....

this consent to get the stuff from my last doc, is this typical if i dont bring it up myself? further, what exactly do they see if i don't give them this specific consent? If i don't want to give them this consent will they still see me? and finally....even if i do give them this consent...will they know who my last doctor was without me telling them?

Sorry for all the questions but i have done a ton of research and haven't been able to find this out

Answer 1

Your medical records are stored on paper (and potentially electronic form, but not a centralized database) at your doctor's office. Another doctor can only see your medical records if you request that your doctor send them to him, or, in the case of an emergency, if he or she contacts your doctor's office and has the records faxed over (if you show up unconscious in the ER, knowing your medical history might mean the difference between life and death, but they can only get your records in a true emergency). Your doctor can also show your medical records to his colleagues to get their opinion on a diagnosis or treatment, but they're bound by the same confidentiality as if they'd seen you themselves). However, except in an emergency, a doctor at another hospital can't see any part of your medical records without your consent.

Your new doctor won't know who your old doctor was without your telling him. Before or during your first appointment with your new doctor, he or she will probably ask you for a medical history, which would include contact details for your old doctor, some basics about ongoing medical conditions, serious medical conditions you've had in the past, allergies, family history, etc., and he or she might also give you a form to give to your old doctor to have various records including vaccinations and some basics about overall health sent over.

From your question, I get the impression you might have something in your medical history you are reluctant to share with your new doctor. While I certainly can't force you to decide either way, I strongly recommend you be honest with your doctor. For your doctor to be able to take the best possible care of you, it is important that he have as much information as possible. That should include as much of your medical history as possible. Whatever it is that you don't want him to know, while it may be embarrassing for you, it's almost certainly something your doctor hears every day, and might even be able to help you with. Also, remember that everything you tell your doctor is confidential, so you don't have to worry about anyone else finding out.

Answer 2

In order for the latter doctor at another office to get access to your information you will need to sign a consent form to have the records released to the new office. This would be a good idea, because you want your doctor to have the most complete picture of your medical history possible in order to provide the best care. Most health information is still stored in paper charts at a physical location and must be copied or faxed to the new office. As more practices use electronic medical records that are compatible across information systems it will be more possible to access records from a remote location, but such access would still require legal authorization. A case where you might not sign a separate consent form is if your current doctor is consulting with a specialist about a particular issue (ie a radiologist reading an x-ray or a pathologist looking at a slide). These specialists would only be consulted about a particular aspect of your care and would not be browsing through your whole history.

Answer 3

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Answer 6

Most physicians today belong to a physician s "network". A network is a group of physicians usually associated with a particular hospital. If your old doctor and your new doctor are part of the same "network", your new doctor can just pull up your records from the old doctor.

I dumped my old primary care doctor (pcd) because we had a difference of opinion on my treatment, and he came down on me like I was some disobedient child. I did not like the way he treated me, so I went looking for a new doc. When I was consulting with my potential new pcd, we were talking about the medications I was on. He asked when I had last filled my prescription. He then just pulled up my file on his computer and said, "Oh, yes, I see it here. It was June 1st." Both doctors were part of the same physicians network.

Find out which network your old doctor is wish. When you call to make an appointment with a new or different doctor, ask the receptionist what network the doctor is with. Insurance companies give better benefits to you if your doctor is in one of their approved networks, so this is a standard question for insurance purposes. The receptionist won t think anything of it. If you don t want the new doctor to be able to access your medical file, make sure to get a new doctor in a different network from the old one.

Answer 7

my sister works for the mayo clinic in mn. she works as a medical transcriber, she sees all the notes from a doctor ,. when ever you see your doctor he some times puts that on a tape what he done that day , then it gets transcribed to your medical file. that is your file. by law no one can get into it with out your written permission.your doctor and your doctor only can see your file. but your doctor can show another doctor it for medical purposes only.the only one that can see your file without your permission is the head person at the hospital. your information can not leave the hospital without your permission. it cant go to any one with out written permission.

Answer 8

It's illegal. As the patient, you have the right to consent to medical treatment and procedures, and you also have the right to see your own medical records.

Answer 9

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That is illegal. File a complaint with your state board of medical licensure. That act will get you some answers.

Answer 10

absolutely not without your written consent. it's a violation of HIPPA.