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This article was originally published in Finger Lakes 1.
Physicians and hospitals in New York are required to maintain adult patient records for at least six years. Still, accessing those medical records can be more difficult than one might expect, especially if your healthcare provider hasn’t made the switch to digitized record keeping.
According to Reuters, less than one third of U.S. hospitals can locate, send, and receive electronic medical records for patients who receive care elsewhere. Doctors often resort to re-ordering tests when records cannot be found, which causes delays in care and wastes clinical staff time. Some companies are working to combat the issue of lost medical records by digitizing the transfer and release of patient data.
