The purpose of the health record is to provide medical evidence to doctors and other health care providers to make decisions about treatment and medical care. Although patients may not like the idea of their medical records being available for public scrutiny, the fact is that they need to have this information in order to get the best medical care. Patients feel an emotional sense of responsibility to make sure their records are complete and accurate, and they also feel that by having access to these records, they will be able to obtain the proper medical care.
The importance of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was debated heavily in the U.S.
- House of Representatives last year and the act was passed with wide partisan support.
- The Privacy and Security of Patients’ Information Act, or HIPAA, was designed to strengthen the privacy of patients’ personal health records.
The purpose of the act is to prevent health information from being misused by doctors and other health care providers. For example, a patient records his or her visit to the doctor and wants to ensure that all of the necessary treatment is given; however, a doctor may take advantage of the patient by taking information that does not fall within the patient’s private domain and treating him or her improperly.
The privacy of a patient’s health is very important and is what keeps doctors like Robert Woodhead of St. George, Utah, functioning. When a patient gives permission for his health records to be viewed by anyone, including family members, the doctor cannot disclose certain aspects of the patient’s history without the patient’s permission. Although HIPAA does not give the doctors legal immunity for illegally taking advantage of patients, it does set standards that must be followed. For example, a doctor is required to inform a patient’s family if a test reveals a medical condition that could possibly cause death. If the doctor takes this precaution, the patient is allowed to determine if he wants to proceed with the testing or to wait and see if the condition goes away on its own.
However, when it comes to the purposes of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, there is confusion as to what purpose the act was intended to serve. Originally, the purpose of the act was to protect individual privacy rights against the misuse of personal records. Now, many believe that the purpose of the act was to create uniformity in the collection of medical records across state lines and insulate hospitals from having to pay out money to patients who feel they have been illegally targeted for insurance benefits. Proponents of the health care reform law maintain that this bill will prevent medical professionals from abusing patient records, but privacy concerns are what the current legislation is really meant to address. If doctors want to be able to access patient health records, they can do so freely. Opponents argue that it does nothing to prevent medical professionals from misusing health records and that the law could open the door to medical malpractice suits where doctors are found to be acting in bad faith.
Hospitals and doctor’s offices alike are concerned with being adequately prepared in case a lawsuit arises due to patient privacy concerns.
- In the past, it has been difficult for patients and doctors to work together to develop a harmonious relationship, particularly in terms of maintaining accurate records of a patient’s history.
- Now, both sides agree that the ability to share information between two parties is essential to maintaining a healthy relationship between doctor and patient.
- Doctors have access to detailed patient records to help them provide care to their patients more efficiently, while patients can use the information to make informed decisions about their health.
The purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was to crack down on medical fraud, but the debate rages on whether the law is actually doing its job. Opponents argue that the new regulations do not go far enough to protect patient privacy rights, while supporters argue that the new laws go too far and are too intrusive into doctor-patient relationships. Whether or not the purpose of the health care reform law is to prevent medical malpractice lawsuits, or to create uniformity across state lines, no one can deny that it has reshaped the medical landscape. The next step for health care reformers will be to strengthen and enhance the law’s many provisions to ensure that the reforms produce only positive results for Americans’ health care needs.
