My Medical Records and My Doctor’s Office
For the longest time our medical records resided in a top secret folder doctors kept in giant file cabinets behind the nurse’s desk and usually seemed reluctant to share with us. If you dared ask for a copy of your records you got an agitated look from the office administrator, followed by a dissertation on the costs you’ll pay to access records for the service you just paid for. Many just threw in the towel and gave up.
Our lifestyle and the way we communicate with one another is changing rapidly. Every industry in the world seems to be keeping up with technology, except the healthcare industry. Although we have found a cure for cancer, our medical records are frequently still found in a folder in a file cabinet and not easily accessible.
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Let me back track on why I am writing this blog. Three weeks ago I got an offer to join ChartSpan Medical Technologies as the full time Vice President of Digital Marketing. The only mandate was that I had to permanently move to South Carolina. I need four seasons back in my life and I’ve been told I’ll have it there. Since accepting the job I have been scrambling to get things organized before the move. Quitting my day job, packing, getting things shipped, paperwork, changing addresses for my bills and the goodbye parties, all have gone smoothly except gathering my medical records.
Collecting my medical records was a nightmare. Two years ago I changed my primary care physician because I moved to a new part of town. I asked for my records to be transferred to my new primary physician. Of course I didn’t follow up to make sure my old doctor released all my records to my new doctor because I assumed it had been done and got busy with life.Last week I called my doctor’s office asking them to prepare all my medical records for me to pick up, since I will be moving away from Texas. I was told by the kind receptionist (she was truly sweet and helpful) my medical records would be ready in three business days and I would get a call to pick it up then. Three days went by and I didn’t get a call. I decided to call the office. The receptionist claimed they had called me earlier, but they never did. I was told to come pick up my records.
When I picked up my medical records the nurse said “this was the easiest file to put together, only two visits!” I looked puzzled after her comment and asked “what about my medical records of 13 years which the last doctor transferred to your office?” The nurse checked and could not find anything about my previous doctor sending over my records. Long story short, my previous doctor never sent my medical records and when I reached out to them they claimed they did not have any record of me being at their office (they had a system upgrade) and couldn’t find my file with 13 years of medical records. I was frustrated to find out I will never have access to most of my health records.
I often ask myself what happens to my medical records? How can I access them? I want to have my medical records with me at all time. But I don’t want to carry a giant folder with me everywhere. I am glad to say the solution for that giant folder will be ChartSpan Medical Technologies. ChartSpan is the world’s first automated healthcare record management app, allowing you to gather and store all your medical records on your smartphone or tablet with just a few clicks. I’m proud to join a company changing the way we manage our healthcare.
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Armen Allahverdian is the VP of Digital Marketing at ChartSpan Medical Technologies.