The Question: I had radiation and chemo at Sunnybrook three years ago. I want my medical records from the cancer treatment and I am not sure how to go about this.
The Answer: You would think, as a patient, that your information is all in one file. But in fact, some physicians run their practice independently, maintaining their own records. Consequently, information contained in the hospital record may differ from that record maintained by the physician.
Though the information in your medical record belongs to you, the doctor and hospital must keep the original. The physician and hospital also bear the responsibility for keeping it confidential and not allowing any unauthorized use.
Ask for the hospital record. The records department will review the request and the chart. If any information is missing, a request for information will be made from the physician’s office.
Each month, 1,200 to 1,500 requests for medical records are made at Sunnybrook. Current patients can request their information over the telephone or fax, according to Sarina Cheng, director of health data resources, eHealth strategies and operations at Sunnybrook. Requested records are photocopied and provided to patients; soon release of patient information will be provided on a CD.
Patients can also access their hospital record information using MyChart, an online personal health record service, provided they have registered for it – saving travel time to pick up hard copies. Though chemotherapy reports are not currently available in MyChart, they can be obtained by making a request to health records.
“With MyChart, patients can access hospital record information and share with multiple care providers and personal health participants electronically. Patients can access their information quicker,” said Ms. Cheng. “They can share their information and always have it accessible to them. That satisfies them.”
Another technique is to form the habit of asking for a copy of the record every time you have a health encounter as you can build your own record as you go, saving yourself some money in the end.
At Sunnybrook, patients are provided with a few options to access their personal health information:
- In Person: Patients can come to Sunnybrook’s health records office and make the request.
- By Fax: Patients can download the Authorization for Release of Personal Health Information form through this link https://sunnybrook.ca/content/?page=care-stay-priv-hr. The completed form along with 2 pieces of government issued photo ID can be faxed to 416-480-6123 for processing. By law, hospitals have 30 days to complete this type of request. There is $30, non-refundable administrative fee for the processing of each request, which includes copies of the first 20 pages, plus 25 cents per page thereafter.
- MyChart, https://www.mychart.ca allows access to more than 1.4 million hospital records in the electronic patient record system at no cost. It has been available to all Sunnybrook patients are since early 2006 and can be accessed anywhere by searching on the Internet.
“Patients can have online access from home to their own medical record – the patient has huge control,” said Ms. Cheng. “If they share access with their physicians, they can identify a family doctor, that physician can see their lab work, emergency notes and medication.”
There are also sections where patients are able to enter their own information, such as symptoms, other personal health appointments such as exercise plans, community services such as nurse care visits, add supplements, diet, family medical history etc. As well, they can invite others to join, including dieticians, physiotherapists and even personal fitness trainers who wish to stay connected to your health status.
Here is what I think you should do: Go to the Odette Cancer Cent which has a health records department or fax Sunnybrook the authorization for release of information form. If in person, please visit the hospital’s Release of Information service desk (located in T2-201) and request copies of your information. We now also have an express desk located in the M-wing main entrance.
The authorization for release of information form is available online and can be downloaded through this link https://sunnybrook.ca/content/?page=care-stay-priv-hr. and fax it to health records at 416-480-4639 with photocopies of two pieces of photo ID for processing. You may also want to explore joining MyChart for ease of access to your record.
