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Getting a copy of your notes

golden

Senior Member
Messages
1,831
We are legally entitled to a copy of our notes that any Alternative practitioner has made and stores of us.

Whilst I dont often go to APs , I find it a matter of principle to obtain notes. And also my personal responsibility to myself.

A teacher of Reflexology once taught a class of students that she felt this was invasive. That they were 'her' notes. And that making another set to give to the clients was appropriate.

Totally unacceptable.

The APs arent really used to empowered patients. And in a lot of respects in this subject are years behind ADs (Allopathic Doctors).

Beware, notes maybe unprofessional or have doodles on them. It maybe necessary to re-assure the AP that this is just simple procedure and not for a complaint..since this is relatively new.

But also with M.E. esp. obtaining notes can highlight bias and wrong thinking from the practitioner.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
@golden
think this has been the case for a long time - I did a hypnotherapy practitioner course in 2005 before becoming ill, we were taught on that course that patients could request access to our notes on them, for example we needed to be careful about expressing personal opinions,, as opposed to professional opinions.

I mean can you imagine in the past what some GP's have written about us?!!!!
I was once described as a non compliant patient - that still makes me laugh - I'm a non compliant person in general - they got that right at least :)
 

golden

Senior Member
Messages
1,831
@maryb

yes 8 agree i didnt express myself well. This terrible wet cold weather is drowning my brain. (thats my todays excuse anyway :) )

What i meant to say was although the right to have a copy of practitioners notes has been there for yonks

what is relatively new is people actually claiming their right.

Plus Alot of people arent aware still that they can do this either.

And its doubtful the practitioner would give you all their unsensored notes.... but it may make them think whilst they spend a while copying them into a professional format.




When the G.P.s notes were released (they never thought this possible)... it was hilarious...and extremely unprofessional, i agree. :)


I am currently wrangling my notes from the poor chiropractic consultation i experienced.


BUT, I am getting a bit disillusioned with the many poor AP around.

Their insistence that everything comes from a negative emotion, their belief that bits of the bodies mean something. Even louise hay with all her Love theory states that T.B. is extreme selfishness.

Can you imagine going to an AP with T.B. who is secretly thinking this of you.... or worse should you be feeling a bit selfish....manifesting T.B. to conform to your APs beliefs!!!

I hardly think they would write this in ones notes. Nor some of the other vile I have heard APs spout about their clients such as 'energy vampires, doesnt want to be well, wants to stay ill to control people, bad karma,' and lots of other rubbish.

A more Excellent way by Henry Wright has a horrible book along these lines too. Some of his stuff includes if you have a right breast tumour it means you have bitterness towards your motherinlaw.

If you have a left breast tumour it means you have bitternrss towards your Mother. And if you have both it means you have bitterness towards both and maybe some female church goer too.....

I would suggest going to an AP holding these ridiculous belief systems could be poisonous to clients.

How to find a decent one I dont know.

One way is to request notes after the first session and judge how well they handle that. But ideally one would know before.
 
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golden

Senior Member
Messages
1,831
I saw a guy who was treating my CFS and sent me a letter telling me he was "firing" me for non-compliance. How didn't I comply? I refused to buy outrageously expensive supplements from him and got them elsewhere.

Cheek of him.
I wonder if thats where he made a lot of his money.
 

golden

Senior Member
Messages
1,831
http://www.atlaspainrelief.co.uk/osteo-physio-chiro-compared.html

I like this page. (apart from the photo which gives me chills)

It gives out information. I like to know a practitioner is being open and honest.

It tells me that Chiropractors can charge £50 for a copy of notes. Thats extortion. The Chiro I had a bad consultation with better not try to charge me that. We certaainly were not informed of this when consenting to allow them to store our notes!!! I would have said no.


" *Q - I am told i need an xray in order to see the condition and determine alignment of my spine !*
Well maybe if a fracture or pathology is suspected, but xrays are not good for you and shouldn’t be a routine procedure.

There should be no need to pay for xrays as your GP will refer you for free. This can be done within no more than 2 weeks but if they consider it urgent then it can be done the same day.

*After a conversation with the General Chiropractic Council*, my understanding is that xrays that are taken by chiropractors become part of your case notes. As such they are kept securely at their clinic and they will not give them to you because they are required to keep them. However as you are entitled to copies of your case notes if you request them, chiropractors must supply you with a copy of the xray if asked.

There is a charge of up to £50 that can be made by the practitioner for the supply of your case notes which means that, should you agree to an xray from a chiropractor you will have to pay for the initial xray, plus should you require a copy of this xray you may have to pay another £50 to have a copy. This has to be factored into the cost of receiving an xray at your chiropractors should you want a copy for your records or indeed wish to have a second opinion on the diagnosis you have been given.

*If you consider that the NHS provide xrays via your GP for free* then this may be a more cost effective route should you need xray imaging. Your GP should be able to advise you on the use of xrays. " (quoted from the link )


He also says that XRays are not good and should not be routinely given etc.... I knew this which is why i denied the Digital Xray offered me. But I was made to feel uncomfortable about it.
 
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golden

Senior Member
Messages
1,831
I have never been charged for copies of notes from APs.

If anyone has experience, please share.
 

golden

Senior Member
Messages
1,831
Doctors in the US can charge a lot for records if requested by the patient. If another doctor needs them then it is free.

(cross posted :) )

Is that Alternative Doctors Minkeygirl or regular doctors?

either way its a further insult to the patient/client.
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
any doc can charge for notes (unless sent directly to another doc), and this is routine if the patient asks for their own records (or for an attorney, SSA, etc. ... they will charge even more if the attorney asks). It's supposedly to cover the cost of photocopying, but it's always been excessive. It may be capped at some large amount. There may be a minimum, too (e.g. one paper page: $2.50).

In this day and age when files could be supplied digitally, a per page fee is ridiculous, although I could understand charging a dollar or three to cover the CD, DVD, or thumb drive, and the 2-10 minutes staffing time to copy the files.

However, sometimes one cannot even get a digital copy. My records are digitized but I can have only paper copies, at a high cost. Does that make any sense?

My ND will show me her notes. I didn't have a need to ask for copies. My Lyme doc MD/ND would charge as much as anybody for notes--pretty sure he would even charge to send a report to my other doc--but he charges for everything. I think his office manager used to work in a law firm (not that I have any knowledge of this, but the pay structure is more like law than like medicine).
 

golden

Senior Member
Messages
1,831
What a scam this all is.

(my naturopath was very fair with letters etc eg. did them for free).

If they can supply them to other docs for free then they should supply them to whats supposed to be the most important person in this! the patient/client.

I have my paper notes from the NHS for £20 - and i am told for a digital copy they can charge no more than £10.

Having your notes should be a fundamental free right since its so important they are accurate.
 
Messages
68
Location
Wales uk
I keep considering asking for a copy of my others . I do to think the £50 will cover the time and photocopying costs - seven folders last time I saw them.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
" *Q - I am told i need an xray in order to see the condition and determine alignment of my spine !*
Well maybe if a fracture or pathology is suspected, but xrays are not good for you and shouldn’t be a routine procedure.

There can be a safely issue there. If someone had osteroarthritis badly in their back and it is manipulated quite strongly (some of those chiros do quite hard treatment), a person could be injured.

There should be no need to pay for xrays as your GP will refer you for free. This can be done within no more than 2 weeks but if they consider it urgent then it can be done the same day.

Last chiro I saw was somehow tied in with a hospital and I was able to get my xrays for him free from there and I insisted I kept my xrays myself!
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I have never been charged for copies of notes from APs.

If anyone has experience, please share.

I have.. some hospitals charge if you want a copy of your case notes etc They can it an "admin fee" but at times it can be expensive.

edit.. oh sorry, I just realised your question was refering to alternative practioners.