Anyone who’s ever tried to get their medical record from a particular care provider, much less organize the totality of their record from a range of providers, knows that it can be a herculean task to get it all together. While agebuzz readers know from the Powerhouse Patient series by Julie Buyon that staying organized is incredibly helpful no matter what health journey you’re on, it’s still likely that beyond your personal record keeping, you may need to seek out your official record from specific health care providers who have helped you along the way. This is especially so if you seek out a new provider or a second opinion- you’ll want to have an official record of the tests performed, images taken and conclusions drawn from a prior physical exam.

You may wonder whether it’s worth the hassle. Do I really need to track down all of my current and former health care providers? Is it really necessary if I have a general recall of what I’ve endured and when? According to a new article in Next Avenue, the answer is a definitive yes. For what reasons? Unfortunately, there’s no one master ID or number that can connect all of your records across providers and systems. But nonetheless, working to find your records will allow you to confirm there are no errors that need to be corrected and should give you a better understanding of your health, the reasons behind the recommendations you’ve received, and a better motivation to take meds and follow given advice. 

The good news is that new federal regulations have now removed any obstacles that may be in your way to obtaining records from medical providers. Going into effect this month (though actual implementation by individual providers may take longer), this new rule prevents “information blocking,” i.e., preventing providers from blocking patients’ access to their medical records and in fact, creating the affirmative obligation to create online patient portals to make it easier for patients to gather their records. Specifically, the new regulation requires “all health care organizations to create online portals where patients can access the following types of medical records: consultations, progress and procedure notes, discharge summaries, medical histories, physical exam findings, and reports from imaging, pathology, and lab tests. Organizations that don’t create these patient-access portals will face fines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.” Psychotherapy notes will be exempt from this requirement but for the most part, the new regulation should allow patients to better understand their health care status and to share that information with family members (especially those who function as caregivers) and providers not within their usual health care system.

Empowered with access to records, however, patients will now have the responsibility to both protect the privacy of the records and manage where they go. There are several smartphone apps available to help organize and host the electronic information you secure. Take a look at this post from Techwiser to consider which app option may be right for you. Google is also considering entry into the arena of helping patients store and use their health records. While it’s a large responsibility to have possession and maintain the privacy of your medical records, the benefits of having those records on hand should ensure you are both more informed, and more empowered, when it comes to your own health care.