Posted on 02/04/2014 7:20:32 PM PST by Innovative
A final ruling issued February 3 by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will give patients direct access to their laboratory results instead of having to get them through a doctor's office.
"The right to access personal health information is a cornerstone of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a press release. "Information like lab results can empower patients to track their health progress, make decisions with their health care professionals, and adhere to important treatment plans."
Patients or someone a patient designates can still ask for the laboratory reports from their doctors, but this amendment to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 adds the option of getting the information directly from the laboratory while promising to protect patients' privacy. The ruling will supersede laws in 13 states that prohibit such access.
(Excerpt) Read more at medscape.com ...
Me too, except my data begins in 1972. Put it on an Excel spread sheet in the mid-1990's. An individual test doesn't mean nearly as much as how consistent the numbers are with your long term "normal" and the direction of any trends. The plotted graphs should be viewed like an industrial process control chart. You don't want to be chasing your tail or over-reacting to any small change.
I have access now, and if I get an xray I get a copy of it through the Film Library (name varies by centre but anyone can get imagery from MRI or CAT scan.
I get all my lab results and I can take the time to plot trends which my MD does not have.
We need a new law? Better read the fine print.
Good ruling - I usually go back to the lab and ask for a copy of the report - they always comply - I let the doc do the analysis, but I like to check for any trends or issues which aren’t clear so I can ask about them if necessary.....
“This is the first good thing about HIPAA!”
First good thing? What’s wrong with HIPAA, exactly?
If you like your lab test report, you can keep your lab test report.
LOL I was going to post the very same thing.
Find another doctor. They are the medical advisor you hire and you are not their puppet.
Correct. You can’t manage what you don’t measure and you can’t extrapolate a point.
The PA said, no, we can't give you a copy of your EKG, because it would violate privacy rules.
What do you mean 'privacy rules'? It's my own damn EKG. Whose privacy am I violating?
She actually did sneak a copy into my paperwork, probably at great risk to her license.
I too have access to MyChart online to see my lab results, and I love it.
“I have been accessing my lab results online for a few years now. As usual, the feds are a day late and a dollar short.”
In some states it was allowed but in many other states you didn’t have the right to access your own results, unless your doctor provided it to you.
Now everyone can access their results.
“What’s wrong with HIPAA, exactly?”
A lot of bureaucracy and unnecessary paperwork.
For example, you used to be able to ask your doctor for your record and they made you a copy, since HIPAA, you have to fill out paperwork to get your own records, and there is also more paperwork the doctor has to keep, none of which helps anyone, just adds additional burden.
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