When you have been impacted by a serious medical event, accessing and reading your medical records can help you make sense of what happened and who may be responsible. Gaining access to and understanding your medical records is the first step toward protecting your health and legal rights. Below, the Kansas City medical malpractice lawyers at Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet explain what’s involved with accessing and interpreting medical documentation with confidence.
Why Medical Records Matter for Patients
Medical records are more than just notes—they're legal documents that track every interaction, diagnosis, treatment, and medical decision made about your health. Your medical records can reveal critical details about your medical treatment, including information that may reveal potential misdiagnoses, issues with your treatment, or medical negligence.
How to Obtain Your Medical Records
Federal and state laws protect patients’ rights to their medical records. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law specifying that individuals can obtain copies of their medical information from their health care providers. Missouri law also protects patients' rights to access their medical records.
Follow the steps below when requesting your medical records to ensure you receive complete documentation:
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Contact the medical records department for each provider or facility involved in your care to verify their records request process. Doing this before initiating your request can help you avoid roadblocks and frustration.
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Complete the required forms that the provider requires in order to authorize the release of medical information. You will most likely be required to provide your signature, proof of identity, and specific details about the records you are seeking.
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Specify the exact timeframe for which you wish to receive documentation. This will streamline the retrieval process and help ensure that you receive all information relevant to the particular situation.
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Request digital copies of your medical records to make it easier for you to store them and share them with others who may need to see them, such as a lawyer you can help you understand if the documentation indicates the presence of medical negligence.
Making Sense of Your Medical Records
Medical records are filled with abbreviations, technical language, and complex medical terms that you’ll need to decipher in order to understand what is in them. Don’t just skim over unfamiliar terminology or rely on assumptions about what the words or phrases might mean. Instead, our team recommends the following approach:
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Use a medical dictionary or reputable online resources to look up medical terminology used in your medical records with which you are unfamiliar.
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Ask healthcare professionals to clarify specific terminology in your medical records and treatment details that are not clear to you from the information included in the documentation you received.
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Create a glossary based on the medical terms you look up or ask about so you have a terminology guide specific to your medical records that you can refer to on an ongoing basis.
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Seek professional interpretation from an experienced medical malpractice lawyer who can help you translate the complex medical documentation you received as a result of your request.
Identifying Potential Errors in Medical Records
Detecting treatment errors requires a very careful review of your medical records; this is something a malpractice attorney can help with. For example, our Kansas City medical malpractice lawyers may be able to identify subtle signs of potential medical negligence within your medical records, such as:
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Inconsistent entries in your medical records that may indicate documentation mistakes
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Missing information from your medical records regarding diagnoses or critical treatments
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Conflicting medical notes in your records from different healthcare providers
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Incorrect treatments that may have been implemented due to misread medical test results
How a Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Help
Our Kansas City medical malpractice lawyers can provide you with crucial assistance in understanding your medical records and helping you determine whether you may have experienced medical negligence. When you choose to work with the experienced malpractice attorneys at Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet, you can expect us to provide you with:
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Professional review of your medical records to identify potential issues with the care you received
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Expert analysis to determine if the information in your medical records may link to potential negligence
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Guidance to help you understand your options and next steps if medical errors are discovered in the review and analysis
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Details about the statute of limitations for Missouri medical malpractice cases so you will be able to act within an appropriate timeframe
Your medical records are powerful tools for understanding your health journey. By approaching them systematically and seeking professional guidance when needed, you can transform complex documentation into clear, actionable information. If you decide to file a medical malpractice claim based on what you learn, our team is here to help you every step of the way.
