ANALYSIS OF HOUSE BILL 1214

        Requiring notice of location of medical records.

Health Care Committee                          January 25, 1999

Washington State House of Representatives

SPONSORS: Representatives Carlson and Cody.

BACKGROUND:  The state Health Information Act governs the confidentiality and disclosure of the health information contained in a patient=s health records.  It declares that patients need access to their own health care information in order to help them make informed health care decisions, and declares that this information should not be improperly disclosed to others.  It provides a procedure for the patient to request copies of their records from their health care provider, and for correcting the health information where appropriate.

Health care information found in patient health records is the property of the health care provider, and must be kept indefinitely, according to court holdings.  There is no law requiring health care providers to notify patients of the location of their records when health care providers retire or relocate their practice.

SUMMARY:  Physicians and other health care providers who retire or relocate their place of practice must notify their patients in writing in order to give the patient an opportunity to see or copy their health records, correct them, ask questions or get information from the health records maintained by their health care providers.