Patient Access to Electronic Medical Records: A Comprehensive Guide

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have become indispensable in modern healthcare. EMRs consolidate patient health information like medical history, medications, test results, procedures and more into digital formats accessible by authorized medical providers.

Enabling patient access to EMRs allows patients to view their comprehensive records in one place. This supports patients becoming more informed and engaged in managing their healthcare. However, concerns around privacy, security, and health literacy have sparked debate around patient EMR access.

This guide examines the key benefits and risks for patients accessing their EMRs. It also provides steps patients can take to access their records and better participate in their care.

What are Electronic Health Records?

Electronic health records (EHRs) are digital versions of patient health information from multiple medical providers. EHRs bring together patient data into consolidated electronic medical records (EMRs) accessible to appropriate healthcare providers.

The goal of EHR systems is to make complete and accurate patient information available securely to all relevant providers. This is intended to enable coordinated, high quality care and improve patient outcomes.

EHR systems allow key capabilities like e-prescribing, clinical decision support, patient portal access, and population health management tools. They aim to reduce medical errors, boost organization, and engage patients.

Uses of Electronic Health Records

There are many ways EHR systems and the EMRs they contain enhance patient care and outcomes:

Use	Description
Complete Medical History	Consolidates patient data into comprehensive records for providers
Care Coordination	Secure data sharing between providers enables care transitions
ePrescribing	Electronic transmission of prescriptions to pharmacies
Clinical Decision Support	Evidence-based care guidelines for providers
Preventive Care Reminders	Alerts for needed services per clinical guidelines
Streamlined Diagnostics	Electronic ordering for lab tests and imaging procedures
Timely Test Results	Results integrated directly into patient EMRs
Population Health Management	Tools to analyze care patterns across patient groups to identify gaps

By enabling these capabilities, EHRs and EMRs aim to equip providers to deliver higher quality, better coordinated, more personalized care.

Patient Access Rights to EMRs

Under federal HIPAA law, patients have the right to access their EMRs containing their medical records from all healthcare providers. This includes access to electronic records.

Providers must accommodate requests for access within 30 days. Patients can request to inspect their EMRs or obtain copies in their preferred format. Reasonable fees apply only to paper copies.

While HIPAA grants basic access rights nationwide, some state laws further expand patient access to records. Patients should understand their comprehensive rights to their complete medical history contained within their EMRs.

Accessing Electronic Health Records

Patients have several options to access their EMRs and personal health records:

• Patient Portal - Patients can register for a secure online portal offered by many providers to view selected portions of their EMRs. Portals allow patients to conveniently see records from different providers using the same electronic health record system through a single login.
• Submit Request - Patients can submit a written request directly to each of their healthcare providers to inspect or obtain copies of their full EMR contents. Under federal law, providers must accommodate these requests and provide access within 30 days.
• Apps - Some consumer-focused apps are available that can integrate medical records from multiple different providers through health information technology networks. This allows consolidation into a single view.
• ONC API - There is future potential for third-party apps to leverage a secure application programming interface (API) developed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to enable patient access to their records.

When requesting records, be specific on which records you need and the format desired. Compile records from each provider for a complete medical history within your EMR. Follow up on any unreasonable delays or denials.

Benefits of Patient EMR Access

Enabling patient access to EMRs offers advantages like:

• Improved self-care with comprehensive medical history and test results
• More informed health decisions and productive doctor visits
• Increased patient portal adoption and engagement
• Identifying and correcting record errors to improve EMR accuracy
• Smoother transitions between providers with portable EMR access
• Enhanced care coordination and patient safety

Risks and Concerns of EMR Access

Despite the benefits, some concerns exist around patient EMR access:

• Privacy breaches if printed/downloaded EMRs aren't properly secured
• Patient confusion over complex medical terminology within EMRs
• Patient anxiety or worry over test results without adequate explanation
• Time burden on providers to explain EMR contents to patients
• Impact on doctor-patient dynamic and trust

These risks can be addressed through provider education of patients on their EMRs and responsible access. Appropriate safeguards must be in place.

Gaining Access to your EMR

Patients gain more control over their healthcare when they can access their EMRs containing their consolidated health records. To get started:

• Learn your EMR access rights under HIPAA and state laws
• Register for online patient portals to view parts of your EMRs
• Submit official written requests for full EMR contents from each provider
• Use apps to integrate EMR records from across providers

Persist through any obstacles to gain comprehensive EMR access. With your complete medical history available via your EMR, you can better partner in your healthcare.

Can Any Doctor Access My Medical Records?

Policies regulate medical provider access to patient EMRs to protect privacy. Only doctors directly involved in your current treatment can access your EMR without explicit consent. Doctors you have a past treatment relationship with still have access to that encounter's records but need consent for current access.

Those who are not involved in your care cannot access your EMR without written consent per HIPAA. They can only access your EMR for quality audits and population health improvements provided identifying information is removed. Stricter state laws may further limit provider EMR access. Patients can request an audit trail showing providers who accessed their EMR.

Ethical guidelines like obtaining informed consent and maintaining confidentiality also govern doctors’ appropriate access and use of EMRs. While coordinated care requires sharing some information, doctors should only access the minimum necessary records relevant to the patient's care.

Who Can Legally Access My Electronic Medical Records?

Beyond your doctors, a limited set of parties can access your EMR:

Party	Purpose of Access
Insurance providers	For claims processing and payment
Public health authorities and registries	For legally mandated reporting, like infectious diseases
Healthcare clearinghouses	For billing and transcribing records
EMR portal service providers	For storage and transmission of records
EMR-integrated apps	When authorized by patients for consolidated records access
Legally designated personal representatives	Like parents accessing records for a minor child
Government agencies	For permitted health oversight activities like audits and investigations

Any access beyond doctors directly involved in your care requires proper patient consent under HIPAA unless a specific legal exemption exists. Strict access controls and audit logs should track all access. Patients have a right to an access report.

Where Are Electronic Medical Records Stored?

EMR storage and security practices can vary. Many providers use cloud platforms from certified EHR vendors that meet privacy and security regulations. Cloud storage enables secure access.

Other providers maintain localized servers to store EMR data which requires rigorous on-site security. Some health systems use hybrid models with cloud networking between physical storage locations.

Regardless of architecture, providers must implement safeguards like encryption, access controls, auditing, firewalls, and disaster recovery to secure EMRs and protect patient privacy according to HIPAA and HITECH rules.

Patients should ask providers about their specific EMR storage and security controls to ensure their data is properly safeguarded from inappropriate access or breaches.

How Are My Electronic Medical Records Protected?

EMR systems have the following security measures to protect patient's medical records:

• Role-based access controls restricting unauthorized access
• Authentication via passwords and two-factor to identify verified users
• Encryption of stored and transmitted patient data
• Activity logging to track all access and changes
• Routine security assessments for vulnerabilities
• Contingency planning for emergency access and system failures
• Hardware and software with security features enabled

Patients can help protect their EMR security by using unique complex passwords, protecting login credentials, reviewing access reports, and being alert to any misuse signs. However, ultimately providers are responsible for EMR protections compliant with regulations.

Conclusion

Patient access to EMRs empowers patients and promotes engagement, but requires balancing benefits with privacy risks. Patients have a right to access their records under HIPAA and can work with providers to safely leverage EMRs to participate in their care.

Upgrading from fragmented paper records to integrated EMRs supported better care coordination and outcomes - adding thoughtful patient involvement can further improve the promise of digital healthcare.

Get Started with Calysta EMR

After reading this guide, you likely recognize the benefits of transitioning to comprehensive electronic medical records for your practice and enabling secure patient access. However, selecting the right EMR system can be challenging.

Calysta EMR makes it easy for providers to adopt a fully featured, patient-centric EMR solution. Calysta offers powerful clinical tools to enhance care quality and coordination while empowering patients with transparent record access and engagement features.

If you are ready to upgrade your patient records management, request a demo of Calysta EMR today. Our team is happy to give you a tailored walkthrough of the platform and answer any questions you may have.