[ouch]

Can the psychiatrist do that? I'm in Canada. I asked her for my file because I'm going to a different province, and she said no. She said there were rules about that, and was very vague about it. Why can't I access it? I should be able to... I think she's supposed to let me see it/get it, isn't she? She said she would send them over to the next psychiatrist I'm seeing. I just felt it was unfair - it's about me!!! Now, I'm really curious what she wrote... Anyone else know about this/ had this happen?

[sunrise]

Ouch, I'm unclear on the rules. It seems to me that a patient should have access to any of their records. In the U.S., we have these fairly new HIPAA rules that address that among other privacy concerns, but I'm not sure what the new rules say. About 15 years ago, I moved from one part of the country to another while in the midst of a mysterious medical problem. I had had a number of diagnostic tests done in my old location, and wanted a copy of my records for the new location, although I didn't have a new doctor yet. (I also suspected my doctor in the old place was not very good and not even analyzing the results of the tests she ordered--another story--so I was also interested to check on what conclusions she had written in my chart.) Anyway, the old doctor's clinic would not release my records to me! I was astounded. It was just blood test results and stuff. They said they would only send to my new doctor. So after I moved and had a new address, I put in a request to them for my records and had them sent to my apartment under my husband's name, using the title "Dr." They thought they were sending the records to my new doctor. Ha, ha. (Both my husband and I have the title "Dr." so that part was certainly no deception.)

[Rhapsody]

Post from Depression Forum

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Rhapsody said:
In June 1992, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in McInerney v. MacDonald that “in the absence of legislation, a patient is entitled, upon request, to examine and copy all information in her medical records which the physician considered in administering advice or treatment, including records prepared by other doctors that the physician may have received.”

http://www.web.net/~desact/anglais/public/dossiers.html

http://www.hrcr.org/safrica/access_i...macdonald.html

http://scc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/199...2rcs2-138.html

http://www.legalinfo.org/pdf/patients.pdf

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

[(JD)]

This thread topic is also discussed in depression forum

The situation in NZ is that:

You have the right to request to view your file.

They have the right to deny that request if they think that information could harm yourself / another.

They typically photocopy it and you view it on the premises. You typically are not allowed to take it away because it was considered the property of the service.

It might be a problem with them GIVING you the file (as opposed to your viewing it) and with your wanting to GIVE it to other clinicians (where they own it and don't want others second guessing their notes).

Of course the laws might be different in NZ.

On the upside... I've heard of someone (a fairly large someone) who just snatched his file from p-docs hand one day and left the building. P-doc was squeaking a little behind him, but he got away with it.

Heh heh heh.

[LILITH]

Ouch, here in the states you can request your medical record and your psych record....

[Smilie]

Ha, ha, good for you.

Smilie

[Perna]

Ouch, it looks like all your provinces have differing rules; you may have to get a new psychiatrist and then ask them to access your records and go over them, etc.?

http://www.cpa-apc.org/browse/documents/15

I'd send an email/call your person in this list and ask?

[Rapunzel]

Will she send a summary or copies to the new agency? They are probably required to keep the originals in their records for a specified amount of time, and to destroy them after that time has passed, but if you make a formal request for notes for your new provider, they should work with that. You might also ask for your p-doc to go over your file with you and explain it to you.

Rap