Patients need access to their medical records—now

Patients, particularly those with long term conditions, have a pivotal role in managing their own health,1 but too often they are left to struggle without the tools to do the job, the most basic of which is being able to view their medical record.Ever since electronic medical records became widely available, patients have called for the right to have continuous online access to the information in their notes. But professional resistance and policy inertia have proved difficult to overcome. Doctors have argued that patient record access would increase their workload, cause harm to some patients, and increase the risk of litigation.2Policy makers have proceeded cautiously in the face of these objections. The right to request a retrospective download of the record is embedded in legislation in many countries, but these are often provided at a high out-of-pocket cost. Following recent changes to the general practice contract, patients in England can…
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