Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."
Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."
Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI
“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.
Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
Missing Anything? We Make it Easy to Request Your Medical Records
When it comes time to see a new doctor or specialist, you’ll want to supply them with a copy of all your relevant A-Fib related medical records. If you are missing copies of some of your files, you may need to request files from current and former physicians and medical centers.
Submit a Written Request
In the US, you have a right to copies of your records, under the HIPAA legislation. For those outside the U.S., learn how to request your records in Canada, UK, Australia or Europe (EU).
Three Ways to Request Your Records
To start the process, you need to submit a written request to each doctor or medical practice. For those in the U.S., here are three ways to do it.
How to request your medical records
1. You’ll find the instructions for requesting records for each provider in their ‘Notice of Privacy Practices’—you signed and received a copy of this notice on your first visit.
It’s also posted, by law, in the waiting room where patients may see it. It should provide instructions for requesting records as well as contact information for asking questions or filing complaints. Follow the instructions to request your records.
2. Or, if visiting the medical office, ask for an ‘Authorization for Release of Health Information’ form. You can complete and submit the authorization form in person or take it home.
Many medical practices post the ‘Authorization for Release of Health Information’ form on their website for download.
3. You can also write your own ‘Request Your Medical Records’ letter (see more below). The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse offers a sample letter template.
‘Request Your Medical Records’ Sample Letter
To help you compose your own letter asking for your medical records, use the sample letter provided by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a non-profit patients advocacy group.
Download the free PDF file (hosted on our website) and print or save the PDF file to your hard drive.
Using their sample letter as a template, replace the sample patient information with your own and create a letter for each doctor or practice. Then print and hand-deliver your request to your doctor’s office or mail or fax it. The doctor’s office is required to respond in a specific number of days.
To learn how long they have to respond and what they are allowed to charge you for copies, see our article, “Your Right to Your Medical Records”.
Where Do You Organize Your A-Fib Records?
We strongly encourage you to get in the habit of storing all your A-Fib-related research and documents in one place. Don’t leave your doctor’s office, medical center or hospital without a copy of every test or procedure they perform. If the test result isn’t immediately available, have them mail it to you.
As you search for your Atrial Fibrillation cure, organize the information you are collecting. Start with a notebook and a three-ring binder or a file folder. To learn more, see my article, Why You Need an A-Fib Notebook and 3-Ring Binder
