Your medical records are very important. When you come in for treatment, they tell the doctor key things like what diseases you’ve had in the past, if you are allergic to any treatments or medications, and underlying issues that may factor in to the current issue.
If these records are wrong, mistakes could inadvertently be made, and you could be injured. Some mistakes could even lead to death. However, despite that, many people have actually found that their records are not correct.
Doctors sometimes don’t even like to give patients their own records and notes. When those patients have looked, though, they have found that medical conditions described aren’t what they actually have or that key pieces of information are missing.
It’s wise for people to check out their records, even if they think that everything is probably fine. However, you are not allowed to get the records and alter them on your own. You have to put in a request to have them changed. This is a right you are given under federal law, so doctors cannot stop you from making the request.
Most of the time, doctors are glad to hear from you and will look seriously into these claims. They don’t want to make mistakes that could lead to malpractice lawsuits—which could especially happen if they’ve been told of the errors in the records and done nothing. Still, it’s best to address this as early as possible to make sure it’s handled correctly.
If inaccurate records did lead you to injury in Hartford, you need to know all of the legal options you have to get compensation.
Source: WebMD, “When Your Medical Records are Wrong,” Lisa Zamosky, accessed Aug. 06, 2015
