Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
Film star and pin-up icon Farrah Fawcett set up a sting operation to prove to UCLA that one of its employees was leaking information about her cancer to the National Enquirer. Other celebrities who had information leaked included pop star Britney Spears and former California First Lady Maria Shriver.
An Office of Personnel Management plan to launch a comprehensive database of federal workers’ health care records has raised the ire of some privacy advocates, employee unions and consumer groups.
The data collected will include names, birthdates and other personal identifying information.
You hope an accident or illness won’t send you to the ER. But being prepared can help you get good, timely, and safe care when should the need arises.
New rules to protect your prescription information Information collected with your prescriptions, including your name, the drug and its dosage but your address and social security number, can be sold without your knowledge or permission, New York Times reporter Milt Freudenheim writes in today’s paper. Freudenheim writes: That may change if some little-noted protections from [...]
“Don’t assume your doctor has all the relevant information at his or her fingertips. Usually, in fact, the doctor does not.” — Dr. Carolyn Clancy In this month’s column, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, provides tips on how to make sure you can get information from your [...]
Beginning next month, patients covered by the health insurer Aetna will be able to transfer their medical records to Microsoft’s online medical record service HealthVault. Currently, Aetna members have access to their personal medical records on a service run by Aetna. Starting in November, Aetna members will be able to transfer those records to the [...]
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Seattle Times Health News
Experts divided over recommendation to screen children for cholesterol
Some clinicians say universal screening is an important tool to help identify children who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and to pinpoint others who could benefit from treatment. Others express concerns that screening may do more harm than good.
People in state high-risk insurance plans often feel left behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Peeking in on your doctor’s notes
Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
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