This guide only discusses how to get and amend your medical records from health care providers who have to follow the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The guide mentions some related topics without discussing them in detail. Here are some resources where you can find information about these related topics.
Alcohol and Drug Treatment Records
Records related to alcohol and drug treatment may be subject to other privacy rules. You can get more information about these records at:
http://hipaa.samhsa.gov/Part2ComparisonCleared.htm
Louisiana Medical Record Access Laws
Some health care providers do not have to follow the HIPAA Privacy Rule. These providers must still follow Louisiana laws that give you the right to see and get a copy of your medical record. You can read the main Louisiana statute that gives you the right to access your medical record (La. Revised Statutes, Title 40, Section 1299.96) on the website of the Louisiana State Legislature at
http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=97291
Medical Records in General
You can read general information on your medical record rights under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, the flow of medical information, and how to create a personal medical record at http://www.myphr.com/ a Website operated by the American Health Information Management Association, an association of professionals who manage medical records and information. Please note that this site does not discuss medical record rights that may be available under your state's laws.
Medical Terms
You can find out the meaning of many medical terms and medical shorthand from the Medical Library Association’s Website at:
http://www.mlanet.org/resources/consumr_index.html
Your library might also have books or brochures that explain medical terms.
Mental Health Treatment Records
A list of mental health service centers available throughout Louisiana can be found online at:
http://wwwprodapp.doa.louisiana.gov/services/user/usermain.cfm
enter “Health Care” in the category field and select “Mental Health Care” from the Subcategory drop down menu.
You can read Louisiana Mental Health laws in Title 28 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, which can be found online at:
http://www.legis.state.la.us/
The HIPAA Privacy Rule treats most mental health treatment records like other medical records. However, psychotherapy notes (as defined by the HIPAA Privacy Rule) are treated differently. You can read about how these notes are treated in the Summary of the Privacy Rule written by the Office for Civil Rights, HHS at:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/
