Medical Records from birth of a child?

[sandellie4]

I am trying to get copies of some medical records from 1991, from around the time of the birth of one of my daughters. In addition to her birth information, including info on complications, I need records surrounding followup CT scans, etc. The problem is that I don't have the actual dates that I need. I called the hospital where she was born (University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore), but they said it is hospital policy that I can't review the records and then ask for copies of only what I need (the records aren't on site and would have to be forwarded from a storage facility, but I couldn't do this even if they were on site). Does anyone know how I could get these records without ordering all of them and paying hundreds of dollars? We kept the records that were available to us at the time, but some of the records, like CT scans, were to be provided to her pediatrician. But the pediatrician had trouble getting the records, too, and at one point, refused to give us a referral to the hospital until they would agree to provide records. They didn't actually provide the records, though I do have a letter from one of the hospital staff that summarized our daughter's condition and treatment procedures. But we don't have the CT scans themselves, or the reports that followed. I'm trying to pull everything together for an SSI app a year or so from now, and I also wanted to take a look at the information and see what else I could learn from it, now that I'm more experienced and would know what I'm looking at. We were numb and lost in the system at the time they were originally available for us to look at.

Sandy

[Dana in OR]

I would keep pressing the pediatrician's office for help. I'm sure they have some influence with the hospital. Would they have been the ones that ordered the tests in the first place? They should have accurate dates in their records. This must be very frustrating.

-Dana

[Alice]

Few ideas:

1) Ask if you can review the chart with a doctor present. Their policy might allow for that. Not agreeing with this but some hospitals will only allow people to look at charts with someone present so that if there are questions they can be explained or to make sure people don't remove/change anything.

2) Do you know the approximate dates? They should be able to search for the records you need even if you don't have the exact date.

3) You may have done this...but you could have your pediatrician try again but make sure you send a letter with the peds. request. Because of HIPA hospitals can't legally release records even to a doctor without your permission. I've had trouble because of this in gettting results even when I've been the one to order the test.

4) Who did you actually talk to at the hospital about the records? They are legally yours and you have the right to them. They can charge you a fee for copying but I think you have a valid complaint that you can't review them to see what you want copied. If you haven't already tried it go high up...most hospitals should have a Patient Advocate or Patient Rights person. Try them. Or go to the Admin. office. Basically, don't take no for an answer until you find the person who has the power to say yes. Don't accept "this is our policy" from the medical records staff.

[sandellie4]

Thanks for the responses. I think I need to go higher up. The pediatrician is no longer our pediatrician (she's in a different city), and she never received the records in the first place. But I didn't know there was a higher up, a patient advocate.... Sandy