Medical Records

A medical record is a document of a patient's medical history and care. Medical records refer to both the physical folders for each individual patient and for the entire set of information of each patient's health history. Medical records contain sensitive information, and increasing use of electronic medical records (EMR) and other policy factors have increased threats to patient privacy. Information from your medical records may influence your credit, admission to educational institutions, and employment. It may also affect your ability to get health insurance, or the rates you pay for coverage. The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets a national standard for privacy of health information but it only applies to medical records maintained by health care providers, health plans, and health clearinghouses.