Re: elusive medical records Jen

[Guest guest]

Hi Jenn, don't get me wrong, in some parts of the country and in some hospitals the system does work, but not all! Maybe it's the doctors to blame, perhaps they don't know to use the system or simply can't be bothered! What ever the reason, the system frequently fails between Truro, Plymouth and Manchester. Ahh well!

A & E in real life is a joke! I have been kept waiting for 7 HOURS on a trolley before while the doctors and nurses chatted and flirted happily between themselves. No one came to tell me what was wrong, only one young nurse came and took my details, I wasn't even offered any food or drink for the length of time I was there!

After the 7 hours I decided to go home, I'd had enough. Then all hell broke lose and nurses came running from places I didn't know existed! They all tried to get me to stay but not one would explain why they wanted me there. As far as I knew, I was simply having a severe asthma attack and if they were not going to help, I'd go home and call my GP!

Suddenly a registrar turned up and pompously announced I had a collapsed and blocked lung and needed to be admitted as an emergency! 7 hours!!!! Some emergency! It seems my GP had informed them of his suspicions about the problem, but not told me. The A & E staff simply didn't bother to tell me they were waiting for a bed, I was just left in the dark for 7 hours!

One time an A & E doctor tried to send me home after a nebuliser alone! I have my own nebuliser so why would I have gone to hospital just for that? Anyway my wife told him in no uncertain terms to go check my records and if he didn't understand them, find someone who could! True to form within 30 minutes I was rushed to HND critically ill!

These and worse examples for A & E treatment can be found anywhere, Casualty is pure fiction! Luckily, depending on how you look at it, I am always so very ill these day that I bypass A & E and end up in resus! There the doctors know me, they never waste time or hang around and I am always treated immediately.

If I'm told I'm being sent to A & E I simply refuse, I'm safer at home!

OK, sorry, rant over!

I have been hospitalised over 300+ times, I even spent 3 years in one London hospital. To say I am familiar with them is an understatement! I've even been treated by a vet!

Such fun!

Cheers, Mike (Chip) Chapman

Cornwall. UK

Subject: Re: Lynne loratodyne, Salmetrol, Dr not listening, medical recordsTo: asthma Date: Wednesday, 21 September, 2011, 2:37

Slats a medical record is not personal property, it belongs to the doctor or hospital initiating it. With the proper paperwork, you are allowed to access most parts of your medical record.

Under HIPAA a health care facility is obligated to provide the following rights:

-the right to have access to health care without prejudice

-the right to be treated with respect and dignity at all times

-the right to privacy and confidentiality

-the right to personal safety AND

-the right to complete information about one's own condition and treatment

This article on about.com clearly explains the legal mumbo jumbo in layman's terms...http://patients.about.com/od/yourmedicalrecords/a/getmedrecords.htm

Ann

[Guest guest]

That sounds terrible! They should tell you what is going on, that is just so wrong.LynneTo: asthma Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 5:38 AMSubject: Re: elusive medical records Jen

Hi Jenn, don't get me wrong, in some parts of the country and in some hospitals the system does work, but not all! Maybe it's the doctors to blame, perhaps they don't know to use the system or simply can't be bothered! What ever the reason, the system frequently fails between Truro, Plymouth and Manchester. Ahh well!

A & E in real life is a joke! I have been kept waiting for 7 HOURS on a trolley before while the doctors and nurses chatted and flirted happily between themselves. No one came to tell me what was wrong, only one young nurse came and took my details, I wasn't even offered any food or drink for the length of time I was there!

After the 7 hours I decided to go home, I'd had enough. Then all hell broke lose and nurses came running from places I didn't know existed! They all tried to get me to stay but not one would explain why they wanted me there. As far as I knew, I was simply having a severe asthma attack and if they were not going to help, I'd go home and call my GP!

Suddenly a registrar turned up and pompously announced I had a collapsed and blocked lung and needed to be admitted as an emergency! 7 hours!!!! Some emergency! It seems my GP had informed them of his suspicions about the problem, but not told me. The A & E staff simply didn't bother to tell me they were waiting for a bed, I was just left in the dark for 7 hours!

One time an A & E doctor tried to send me home after a nebuliser alone! I have my own nebuliser so why would I have gone to hospital just for that? Anyway my wife told him in no uncertain terms to go check my records and if he didn't understand them, find someone who could! True to form within 30 minutes I was rushed to HND critically ill!

These and worse examples for A & E treatment can be found anywhere, Casualty is pure fiction! Luckily, depending on how you look at it, I am always so very ill these day that I bypass A & E and end up in resus! There the doctors know me, they never waste time or hang around and I am always treated immediately.

If I'm told I'm being sent to A & E I simply refuse, I'm safer at home!

OK, sorry, rant over!

I have been hospitalised over 300+ times, I even spent 3 years in one London hospital. To say I am familiar with them is an understatement! I've even been treated by a vet!

Such fun!

Cheers, Mike (Chip) Chapman

Cornwall. UK

Subject: Re: Lynne loratodyne, Salmetrol, Dr not listening, medical recordsTo: asthma Date: Wednesday, 21 September, 2011, 2:37

Slats a medical record is not personal property, it belongs to the doctor or hospital initiating it. With the proper paperwork, you are allowed to access most parts of your medical record.

Under HIPAA a health care facility is obligated to provide the following rights:

-the right to have access to health care without prejudice

-the right to be treated with respect and dignity at all times

-the right to privacy and confidentiality

-the right to personal safety AND

-the right to complete information about one's own condition and treatment

This article on about.com clearly explains the legal mumbo jumbo in layman's terms...http://patients.about.com/od/yourmedicalrecords/a/getmedrecords.htm

Ann