Dean Health Plan : Newsletters

Medical records should be considered important records in your life. Your medical record includes:

This information is very sensitive and your doctor is legally required to protect your medical records, while still making them accessible to you. In order to receive a copy of your medical records, talk to your doctor’s office. Some offices charge a fee if you are requesting this information for personal use. If there is information in your medical record that you would like to comment on, you may append any written comments. If there are questions your doctor asks that you don’t feel comfortable answering for fear that they will be recorded in your medical record, let your doctor know. Be clear and straightforward about the information you do not want included. Find out why your doctor wants to include the information, and consider his or her request.

Doctors may ask you to complete a release of information to allow them to provide your records to someone requesting them, like a specialist. If you are asked to complete a release for your medical records, find out what information may be needed. You have the right to limit the access that the requester has to your records. For example, if a patient has a broken arm and needs to get a copy of his or her medical records to the specialist that will treat the arm, the patient can write on the release form to send only the information that pertains to her arm.