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- Panel Sparks Controversy Again with New Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines
- Doctor Misdiagnoses Woman and Fails to Complete Full Examination; Woman Dies Days Later!
- Study Finds Hospital Acquired Infections Greatly Impact ICU Deaths
- Medical Malpractice and Res Ipsa Loquitur: An Explanation
- Medical Malpractice Liability and Nurses; Why Nurses are being sued More and More Often
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- Discover how you can win your lawsuit by taking Three Simple Steps in Kingston, New York
- How I learned a lesson in life from a shyster lawyer
- The Day My Hero Died
- Discover how you can get the special services for your disabled child in an Individualized Education Plan in Kingston, New York
- Discover how you can get top-notch health insurance for your family for less than $200 a month in Kingston, New York
What are the three fool-proof steps that you must take to get all of your medical records from a doctor or hospital in Kingston, NewYork?
A:
There are three foolproof steps that you should take to guarantee that you get all of your medical records from a doctor or hospital.
Number One: The language on the release authorization must specifically identify the records that you want. It is simply poor practice to ask for "all of the records". The more specific and detailed your request the more likely that you will get the records you want.
Number Two: The release authorization should request that the medical records administrator identify any record withheld with sufficient particularity to support a further effort to get full disclosure should you believe it is necessary.
The medical records administrator should be asked to warrant under oath that all requested records have been fully disclosed or identified as withheld. Instead of asking the administrator to prepare his/her own oath (they will never do that), you should provide them with your oath and ask them to sign it under oath. This request may be ignored and there are no ramifications if it is. But at least you have alerted the hospital administrator that you are aware of the potential problem of the hospital or doctor failing to provide the requested medical records.
Number Three: The only way to be truly certain that you receive all of the medical records is to go to the hospital or doctor's office and review the original chart. This is known as an "original chart review" and it is specifically authorized by section 18 of the Public Health Law of New York.
Some hospitals, i.e., Kingston Hospital, will tell you that they don't allow original chart reviews. What they are really telling you is that they don't know the law and they want you to go away. Don't put up with such ignorance!
When this happens (and it will), ask to speak with the head of the medical records department. If that person stonewalls you, go up the chain of command at the hospital even further. If that fails, tell the administrator that you intend to file a complaint with the New York State Department of Health and the federal Office of Civil Rights based upon its failure to comply with the law. It is a virtual certainty that you will have your "original chart review" if you follow these steps.
If you already have a copy of the medical records and you want to make sure the hospital or doctor sent you all of the records, you should ask for an original chart review. At the original chart review, you can compare your copy of the records to the original chart to ensure you have all of the records. There is no better way to make sure that you have all of your medical records than an original chart review.
What you can do if you have questions
If you have any questions, I welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can send me an e-mail at jfisher@mmolaw.net. You are always welcome to request a FREE copy of my book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.
Free Book
The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims
ONE BIG PROMISE
You will not be another of the 98,000 victims of medical malpractice in the United States in 2009 if you read my FREE BOOK. I have a book that will tell you why most victims of medical malpractice never recover a penny. If you are the victim of medical malpractice, we will rush this free, valuable information so you know what to do. If you don't call now, you have only yourself to blame.
You will never have to worry about medical malpractice again if you call this toll-free number, 866-889-6882, for your free book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, and an audio CD of the book, or you can request the book here and the book will be rushed to you immediately at no cost.
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John H. Fisher
130 North Front Street
Kingston, New York 12402-3058
Phone: 518.265.9131
Fax: 845-331-2004
Toll Free: 866.889.6882
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Contact Info
John H. Fisher
130 North Front Street
Kingston, New York 12402-3058
Phone: 518.265.9131
Fax: 845-331-2004
Toll Free: 866.889.6882
Video Library
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- Personal Injury Attorney In New York Is Motivated By The Difference His Case Results Make In Peoples Lives
- How To Know Which Law Firm Is Right For You According To Medical Malpractice Attorney In New York
- Knowing You Are The Victim Of Medical Malpractice Can Be Tricky According To New York Attorney
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