In our discussion of medical records and legal records........

The records belong to whoever has them in their possession. (See
9/10ths Rule)

I will give you reality, not theory.  When I left Buffalo, I had MRI's
and CAT Scans from a car accident injury. I requested them and they
were given to me to take to Pennsylvania so my Doctors down there would
have them for reference.

Skip ahead to last week, I had year old MRI's and CAT Scans and X Rays
from my fall from the scaffold in Fort Worth and recent films from a
car accident just this year.  I had my Doctor call and request they
have them all ready for him to review. I had the duty of picking them
all up from three file rooms. Now they are in my possession and they
are never going back to the hospital or the Imaging place.  I own them
now.

With regard to medical records. forget retention schedules or state
statutes or who supposedly owns them..........the problem is that
Healthcare places don't manage records. They gave me a form that said
to be sure to return them, but no out card. No record that I had them.
In fact, you had to walk into the middle of the file room to even get
waited on!  How lax can you be??  So we can debate the hypothetical but
no retention schedules or rules apply if they are poorly managed.

I was not even asked for ID. I walked in and asked for Hugh Smith's
films and they gave them to me. So much for HIPAA.


Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
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(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM

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