Patient Records Electronic Access Playbook - AMA

This Playbook focuses on dispelling myths around HIPAA and helping physicians and their practices understand their obligations to provide patients with access to their health information. The Playbook is an educational and reference manual designed for medical professionals who are involved in patient health record sharing. It compiles the legal requirements that staff must follow for patient record sharing, as well as guidance and best practices for staff to make compliance more efficient in day-to-day operations. Patients have a right to access their medical records. It is critical that practices help provide patients with their own health information, not only because it’s the law but also because it is the right thing to do.

While responsibilities vary widely across practices, this may include receptionists, office managers, medical records personnel, and to varying degree health care providers, such as medical assistants and physicians. The laws governing patient health data and how it can be shared are notoriously complex. Learning and implementing HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) can be challenging for practices a challenge that’s become greater within digital ecosystems.