Last Updated: June 26th, 2018
People have gotten used to using the Internet for everything that they can think of, but you cannot simply go to Google and do a search for your medical records. Instead, you must create a personal health record and then decide if you are going to trust another company to gather your medical records and store them online. If you decide that you do want to have your medical records available to you online at any time, you will need to utilize the following steps.
How To Retrieve Medical Records?
1.) Find a Medical Records Company
There are several websites that promise to help you obtain and track your medical records. It is important to do some research before you simply sign up with a medical records retention service, however. Whether you’re an actual facility, like St. Gregory Retreat Center, or a consumer, your best bet is to do a search on Google for reviews about each company.
2.) Contact Your Doctor for Your Medical History
If you want to track your medical history without utilizing the services of an outside company, you can easily sign up for a free account with a retention service that lets you update your own personal health record. If you want to avoid involving these services altogether, you can create a Google document that you store privately.
Once you decide where you are going to store the information, you should contact your doctor and ask them to provide you with a copy of your entire medical history. By entering this information online, you will be able to access your records at any time.
3.) Ask Your Insurance Provider
Large insurance companies are beginning to enable their customers to access their records online. If your provider allows you to do this, though, you will need to set up an account before you will be given access to your information.
Each provider has different rules, so you should create your account now to ensure that it will be active whenever you actually need access to your records.
4.) Avoid Suspicious Websites
In addition to doing a search on Google for reviews and any applicable information about a potential medical records retrieval service, you should also look for signs that the company is not legitimate. For example, if the website does not use a secure server for payment, you do not want to do business with them.
You should also make sure that there is a customer service number provided. You should always be cautious about any company that will not provide you with a customer service phone number.
Once you make the decision to store your medical records online, it is vital to keep your log-in information secure.
However, you should consider picking one family member or friend who you can trust and giving them your log-in information. This could be a lifesaving decision if you are traveling out-of-town and are involved in a medical emergency. After all, if the medical staff cannot access your records, they might inadvertently give you a medication that you are allergic to or perform an operation that is too risky for your health situation.
Avoiding these types of issues are easy thanks to the Internet, but only if you have your personal health record placed online and you make it easy for someone to provide the necessary information to a hospital.