{"id":4318,"date":"2010-01-02T15:52:13","date_gmt":"2010-01-02T20:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pmedicine.org\/epatients\/?p=4318"},"modified":"2010-01-02T15:55:31","modified_gmt":"2010-01-02T20:55:31","slug":"my-father%e2%80%99s-medical-record-fiasco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/participatorymedicine.org\/epatients\/2010\/01\/my-father%e2%80%99s-medical-record-fiasco.html","title":{"rendered":"My Father\u2019s Medical Record Fiasco"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guest post by Alan Viars (@Aviars<\/a>), CEO of Videntity Systems, Inc.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Alan<\/a>This past year my father required open\u00a0heart surgery. This is a short article about the hurdles we (his family) encountered along the way. I\u2019ve changed the names, because it is not my intention to embarrass particular hospitals or physicians. The issues I raise are systemic within the American healthcare apparatus. My objective is for you to get smart, get mad, and gain control of YOUR medical records. <\/p>\n

In July 2009, my father, Charles, had a routine follow up with his primary care physician, “Dr. Smith.” Dr. Smith told my father, \u201cWell Charles, your EKG came back the same as last year: abnormal.\u201d \u201cAbnormal? What?! Last year was abnormal, too? This is news to me!\u201d My father was stunned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you knew you had a heart attack, didn\u2019t you?\u201d asked Dr. Smith. \u201cI don\u2019t know anything unless you tell me!\u201d, my father told Dr. Smith. The doctor changed the subject to treatment: \u201cLet\u2019s get you in to see a cardiologist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, that\u2019s right, my father unknowingly had had a heart attack even though he was regularly receiving medical care. A year prior his physician either didn\u2019t bother to look at the result of his EKG or failed to inform my father of his condition. Unbelievable, I know, but true.<\/p>\n

A month later, my father visited a Charleston, WV hospital to assess the blockages and see if they could be repaired without bypass surgery. It turned out that the blockages were much worse than anticipated and it became certain that my father would require open heart surgery. With a 75% blockage in one artery and a 95% blockage in another, the cardiologists were amazed my father was even walking around and not experiencing chest pain.<\/p>\n

My sister, Lindsey, a headstrong nurse anesthetist based in Richmond, VA, came home to oversee my father\u2019s medical care in Charleston. Lindsey watched over my father like a hawk and prevented more than one medical error. For brevity\u2019s sake, I\u2019ll spare all the details, but her impression was that the cardiology department in Charleston was in disarray and no one was sure who was going to perform the open heart surgery.<\/p>\n

As a \u201cHealth 2.0 guy,\u201d I turned to the Internet for answers and to determine the competence of the Charleston based hospital. I found free reports on healthgrades.com<\/a> and determined that the heart surgery-related mortality rates to be relatively high at this particular hospital. Of course, the higher mortality rates might be attributable in part to the general health of the surrounding population, but it was several times higher than some of the top-rated hospitals on the site.<\/p>\n

Because my sister works in and is familiar with the healthcare system in Richmond, VA, she and I convinced my father that he should instead have his surgery there. Lindsey felt she could have more control over the situation if he were transferred. Also, according to healthgrades.com, Chippenham in Richmond, VA was among the Top 50 hospitals in the country and this is where my farther eventually had his surgery. (I\u2019m providing its name since we had totally positive experience there.)<\/p>\n

With the decision to move to Richmond began round two in my father’s battle to gain control of his medical information. The Charleston hospital did not want to release his information and the nurses and the physicians tried everything in their power to prevent the transfer and, apparently, \u201ckeep their customer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hard and Fast Sell:<\/strong><\/p>\n

After the cardiology department was alerted we were transferring, a new cardiovasular surgeon came to visit my father at 10 PM and said, \u201cHello Mr. Viars. I\u2019m Dr. Jones and I\u2019ll be performing your bypass tomorrow morning at 8 AM.\u201d No family was around at the time and my father flatly refused and told the surgeon that arrangements had been made for his transfer the next day.<\/p>\n

Holding Medical Records Hostage:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before the transfer to Richmond, my sister requested a copy of my father’s medical records from the cardiologist. \u201cWe don\u2019t normally do that\u201d, the cardiologist replied. Later that morning, she went to the hospital’s records department and asked for the records. \u201cWe can\u2019t give them to you. We can only give them to the patient. We\u2019ll transfer them to the other hospital for you,\u201d said the woman behind the desk. Lindsey replied in a raised voice, \u201cHere is my photo ID and a document confirming I have medical power of attorney. My father is upstairs if you want to confirm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trying a new tactic, the women behind the desk then told my sister that, “His records are not complete and we aren\u2019t allowed to give out incomplete records. We will have to wait until later today when we can speak to the cardiology department and make sure its okay to release the records.\u201d My sister was insistent, \u201cLook lady, my father is leaving today, and you are going to give me those records right now. I don\u2019t care if they are complete or not. I\u2019m standing right here until you give me my father\u2019s records.\u201d The woman left to speak with other staff members and my sister said it looked like they were “holding court” trying to determine if they should release the records. In the end, they relented. We got the records, my father made it to the other hospital, and had the surgery. I\u2019m happy to report he has recovered remarkably well. We have a happy ending, but my guess is that others haven’t been so lucky. Here are the takeaways:<\/p>\n

Lessons for the Wise:<\/strong><\/p>\n