CHICAGO, April 10 -- Your personal health information is a valuable resource to you, your family, and the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who provide your treatment and care. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) outlines five things you should know about your personal health information:

1. Your information is protected. Laws are in place to protect the privacy of your health information. Under a federal law called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), once you consent to treatment, your healthcare provider can obtain and review your medical record in order to treat you, to facilitate payment for healthcare services, and to make sure quality care is being received. Generally, anyone else who wants to use it for any other purpose needs your permission first. In addition, many states also have laws that provide ever greater protections.
2. You have rights. You have the right to view, request changes to, and obtain copies of the information about you contained in the medical records maintained by your healthcare providers. Most facilities do charge for copies of medical records. By law, the fee can only include the cost of copying--including supplies and labor--as well as postage if you request the copy to be mailed. Fees vary from office to office, so call ahead and ask what your provider charges. If you just want to see the records and take notes, and you don't need copies, you can often do that for free.
3. Your records are scattered. Chances are, you have lots of different medical records. Every time you visit a doctor, hospital, or other healthcare provider a record of your visit is made. You may see many different healthcare providers during your lifetime such as a family practitioner, various specialists such as an allergist or a cardiologist, and if necessary, a surgeon. This means your complete medical history cannot be found in any one place.

4. You need to keep your own record. Because your health information is scattered across many different providers and facilities, keeping your own complete, updated, and easily accessible personal health record (PHR) means you can play a more active role in your healthcare. A PHR enables you to better partner with your providers and can help you reduce or eliminate duplicate tests and receive faster, safer treatment and care in an emergency. The PHR empowers you, the patient by giving you more intimate knowledge of your health information.
5. Change is happening. Currently most healthcare providers still manage medical records in a paper format. But the healthcare industry is increasingly adopting computer-based systems, called electronic health records (EHRs), to collect, manage, and use patient information in a more efficient, effective, and secure manner. EHRs have the ability to improve the quality and safety of patient care.

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