Medical Records

Hi folks,

I hope this question isn't too controvertial.

Have any of you folks seen your own medical records? Do you think it is useful to do so?

The reason I ask this question is that I haven't seen my records, but I have been building up my own record from diaries and stuff, and I have found a fairly clear 'cycle' in my illness, with the downturns coming every few years.

Seeing the actual records would be more accurate, but I am worried that I might be upset or embarrassed by what some doctors had written at different times. I would like the facts, but I don't want to read the opinions!

What do people think about this?

Cheers, M

good morning..........i have read my own medical records and although i found some of the "opinion" parts of it to be slightly upsetting.....i took into account that the doctors that i chose to do my care were people that i thought highly of and therefore i realized that reading their "opinions" actually gave me more insight into my conditions

I have read mine as well. I agree, some of the opinions were upsetting. It was overall pretty useful I think.

The only medical records I read were those of the pain specialist I had. By the end, I thought he was a jerk & if I had read the records earlier, I would have known what I found out much earlier & wouldn't have let it go that far....his opinions were so way off reality & what I was going through with the migraines. I may be very different with pain because it seems like no one believes that the pain could be that bad. It is very subjective. I wouldn't think that other situations would be that different, but maybe pdocs & psychologists can be better. I think it would be very interesting to read those records of my pdoc & psychologist....it might provide some insight into my thinking that I just don't see.

I really wish I could read the records of the surgeon that was for my mother before she died...bet there was much more in them than what he was willing to tell anyone....he would never admit to anything but "I got it all". I knew it wasn't true months before I ever found out the truth.....but even the truth was always just a gut feeling that I knew was real. She never did know the truth before she no longer had the cognitive ability to understand.

Wonder what they really do put into some records,
Debbie

Hi I have read my medical records and I would always tell someone to check through theirs. I found many errors in mine. Some typos but some real errors that could have affected me at some other time. It was kinda scary. Personal opinions of the doctors were by far just interesting except for one who actually called me a B...H could not believe that. Last records I received copies of said I was in for back pain, EVERY appt. I have MS and yes I have pain but NO back pain, then there were issues of what I had said to doctor compared to what he wrote, this could have hurt me in the future with new doctors. I was lucky that switching states I went to doctor I had originally so those records really meant nothing. Even this doc could not understand why the lies were there. Sorry for rambling as you can see I feel pretty strongly about this issue.
Kind of like checking your credit report, if mistakes can be made there why not your medical records, espeically if it can be detrimental to future health problems. Thanks for listening and good luck Linda

I've often wanted to check my records...maybe I will...

I had opportunity to read all my medical records when I filed for disability, including the records from my T. There were some minor discrepancies in the medical records but the records from my T and the letter she wrote to Disability were something else again! She seemed to have formed opinions about me that she never discussed with me. Then the clincher appeared in the letter she wrote to the attorney handling my case. She wrote that I "would rather die than to become self-sufficient." That is so far from the truth, I go weak inside just thinking that she would say something like that!! To top it off, she had written a letter to the attorney's secretary that she didn't want me to see the letter. Ha! I didn't see the letter, but the secretary told me what she said! But that's another story...

Yeah, I know. She was probably making it sound that way so that I would get Disability.

At any rate, it's my understanding that here in the States, it's your RIGHT to see your records. I may be wrong. If it's not a right by law, then it should be! It may be that one has to fill out a request/consent. My present doctor would rather that we didn't look at our folders while he's writing in them or just laying in the examining room but I had a doctor that didn't mind in the least.

In your case, I would think that it might be good to compare your journal with your doctor's records.

Hi folks,

I was worried about asking this question, because we each have such different experiences, and different levels of trust in our doctors. I didn't want to push anyone's buttons.

Frankly, I would be terrified to see my records.

September, that line "I would rather die than to become self sufficient" - that must have been hard for you. We have enough to deal with in our illnesses without that.

Butterfly, your point about choosing doctors you respected is a good one. Of course doctors opinions help us, and your point shows up my 'doctor phobia' rather clearly. I have no problem at all with something written about some bronchitis or a broken bone, but somehow I feel really vulnerable with someone writing about my anxiety/depression. It's so close to a 'personality' judgement. Maybe it's pride.

Cripes, I'm opening up a bit here.

One thing. I too have been receiving disability due to my illness. But, I didn't have to fight for it at all. The doctor took one look at me, one look at my notes and said, "We'll have to get things sorted out for you." Later I went to a tribunal thing with a couple of doctors and they were so kind to me, they just said " Try not to worry, maybe do some yoga, but don't push yourself." That was a few years ago.

I guess I'm afraid to find out just how ill I was back then. That's what I'm really afraid of. Yes, I talk about being a survivor and all that, but just like other people here, I'm afraid that it might come back again.

Cheers, M

Myzen, I have no doubt that you could handle it if it happens again. There's so much more that you know now, you would be able to recognize the symptoms. Certainly, your wife would, no?

As for what I read in my T's letter with her report; yeah, it "sent me sideways," as she used to say.

Hang in there, Myzen. You're a great guy!

I got my records once when I switched docs and found another woman's records there! That freaked me out a bit. It was the hospital's fault. We both had falls from horses and I think we may have had the same first name but I was not "morbidly" obese! Maybe now I am. I have seen my spouse's records from another doc and it is all subjection. He said hubby was "noncompliant" with meds. I was so angry, we couldn't get life insurance because of that. Turns out the toad didn't get the fact that hubby was having a hard time getting his P.T. and I&R regulated so the doc assumed it was his fault.

I trust my now doctor and I think that if I looked at the records it might scare me. I know how she acts when she is with me and how she treats me and that is what matters. As for t, I trust she puts down as little as possible for insurance.

Once I saw my son's medical record when he was a baby and the nurse was a b---h. I described him as "screaming" through the night and she made a negative conotation from it. He was reacting to his pertussis vaccine. I felt very judged.

Anyway, I guess it's not something I would do unless I needed to for some reason. I have enough probs in my life. Why take the chance and have a misunderstanding. The nurse on the other hand, I am glad she does not chart.

When I left my therapist of 5 years and was shopping for a new one, I had my records copied. She and my pdoc worked at the same clinic, so I had his notes for the same amount of time. It was really pretty boring! -- just session notes and med notes and not much (except from the pdoc) on my state of mind or whatever at the time I was seen.

Of course, since then I've been freaked out enough to have had two hospitalizations, and THOSE notes scare me, kind of. As curious as I am, I'd also just really rather not know. I got all the glimpse I needed when last time around, my inpatient pdoc (my regular guy doesn't do inpatient and works through a friend of his who does) upped my Effexor to 450 mg. Max, as far as I know, is 375 mg. So I came home and called my regular pdoc and said, "Dr. Temme upped my Effexor and I thought I was already maxed out."

My pdoc said, and I quote, because for me it summed up what they think of me -- "well, there are meds I routinely go over recommended maxes on. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO WHEN NOTHING ELSE IS WORKING." And then he added, helpfully (?), "I'd trust Dr. Temme on this one, because he sees the really hardcore cases in the hospital."

Hmm. I guess this means I'm hardcore, huh?

In the same hospitalization, we were having a session with one of the therapists who is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. She used the stages that alcoholics go through to explain to us the stages of mental illness. There's early, middle, late, and chronic. "By the time you get to this level of care," she said, "you're chronic."

Hey, cool! NOBODY thinks I can be cured!

On another note, I would looooooove to see my current therapist's notes on me, just because he has so much more insight than anyone else has had into me so far.

So, not sure what to tell you, Myzen. I guess just trust your gut.

Candy

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candybear said:My pdoc said, and I quote, because for me it summed up what they think of me -- "well, there are meds I routinely go over recommended maxes on. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO WHEN NOTHING ELSE IS WORKING." And then he added, helpfully (?), "I'd trust Dr. Temme on this one, because he sees the really hardcore cases in the hospital."
Candy

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Hi Candy,

I remember your hospitalizations, I followed all your posts at that time. You know - you kept your sense of humour through it all - how cool is that.

It's funny you should mention for me to 'trust my gut' - I've got IBS! LOL

Cheers, M