Patient Access to Medical Records Policy
Purpose
Beal Wellness is committed to providing patients with timely, secure, and convenient access to their medical records while protecting the confidentiality and integrity of protected health information. This policy outlines patient rights and organizational standards regarding access to medical records in accordance with HIPAA and applicable state and federal laws.Policy
Patients may access their medical records electronically through the Beal Wellness patient portal at no cost. Beal Wellness encourages all patients to utilize the patient portal as the primary method for reviewing their medical records.Beal Wellness primarily provides patients with access to:
- Clinical summaries of care
- Visit summaries
- Medication lists
- Diagnoses
- Treatment plans
- Laboratory and testing results, when appropriate
There is no charge for patients who independently access available information through the patient portal.
Requests for additional medical records will be reviewed and processed in accordance with HIPAA and applicable state and federal laws.
Psychotherapy and Therapy Notes
Psychotherapy notes and therapist process notes, as defined by HIPAA, are maintained separately from the patient’s designated medical record and are not released to patients except as permitted or required by law.This exclusion may include:
- Personal therapy session notes
- Therapist process notes
- Private observations maintained separately by the therapist
- Documentation intended solely for the therapist’s personal use
- Treatment plans
- Medication records
- Diagnoses
- Clinical summaries
- Progress notes maintained within the medical record
Compliance
All requests for medical records will be handled in accordance with:- HIPAA Privacy Rule requirements
- Applicable Georgia laws
- Beal Wellness privacy and confidentiality standards