Accessing Your Medical Records

Keeping track of your medical records—even keeping your own records—is an important part of dealing with any serious medical problem. With a disease like breast cancer, continuity of care is crucial. All of your doctors should have immediate access to the results of all tests and procedures you have undergone, since comparing test results over time is such an important part of designing successful treatment. (Any doctor who is no longer on your team should be taken off the report list.) A few important points to keep in mind:

• You have a legal right to all of your medical records. Only you can authorize the release of records between hospitals or from a hospital to an individual. A personal letter, note, or signed form is required.
• All new films should be compared with earlier ones, which are generally stored at the site where they were taken. Both old and new films should be stored at one center. If you change centers, arrange to have your mammography file moved with you. Some women maintain their own file of mammograms in their home (copies, that is—most hospitals keep the original mammograms).
• If you are seeking a second (or third) opinion on your care, mammogram, or other tests, have the consulting physician go over your history, reports, films, and records. Consider carrying your records yourself if the consulting doctor is out of state, if this is a last-minute appointment, or if you worry about the mail not making it on time. Most doctors want to see the X-ray reports and the actual films, so get both. You can also authorize the transfer of both via secure mailing. In general, copied films are fine, but mammogram originals are the best way to evaluate subtle changes in the breast. Getting your hands on those originals may involve a test of your patience and persistence. Remember, they are films of you and you have paid for them. You have every right to them.
• You are the best agent to cut through red tape and delay, and to collect all essential information. Clarify with the radiology department how, when, and where to get the material you want. Be sure to get the complete file. Make an appointment to pick up your records. You may need to assert yourself and be unnaturally persistent. Do what you have to do. Don't worry about being Ms. Nice Gal.
• No one else is as concerned as you are about your well-being. The old days of being told what to do and what's best for you, while you meekly accept it all, are over.
• You can proactively manage your healthcare information by keeping medical history and records accessible to you whenever you need them. There is a service titled myNDMA that was created specifically for patients to securely handle their important medical images such as mammograms and MRIs, along with actual reports and data at no cost. It's powered by the National Digital Medical Archive (NDMA) and used globally by hospitals and healthcare providers to manage and store digital medical images. Visit myNDMA for more information.