Patients reading their own charts-yay or nay?

[HappyNurse2005]

Sorry, had to remove original post.

I think someone knew who I was talking about, and thats not kosher, since I was trying to be vague enough not to violate any privacy rules

[egyptianriver]

I think patients have a right to all of their medical records, including charts, BUT I would never hand a patient their original chart to read. I would get medical records to make a copy for the patient to have so they could review it at both of our leisures. There's too much of a posibility of things being disarrayed, lost, or destroyed, as well as the time it takes our of an already busy schedule. This way, the patient doesn't need to feel rushed in their review, and they have the right to show it to whoever they want to.

[BMW10]

Good point, river, in regard never leaving the chart unattended. Most patients just want a quick glance at their most recent lab work and to review what the doctor is saying about their progress, anyway. They can get that done while I'm checking their vitals or hanging another I.V., which is why I always take the chart with me on rounds.

But I worry when nurses like burn out declare that "it is against our hospital policy" to allow a patient to view their record, "patients don't even understand the most simple things" and "families are not looking to understand but to find reason to file a law suit" and "let their lawyer do the chart review." Worse, burn out actually believes "Where I work MPOA means nothing unless the patient has been declared mentally incompetent by the physician." Talk about raising the red flag of INFORMED CONSENT!

[Midwest4me]

I've got to admit, when I was in the hospital I read my own chart. I got caught doing it, too---I was standing outside my room in my gown and robe with my nose in the progress notes when my NM came down the hall and shook her finger at me---but I figured it was my own information, and by gosh I was going to see what my labs and test results looked like and what the MD's impression was.

Now I realize what that might have looked like to another patient, who would have had no idea that I was a nurse at that hospital. Still, I don't know that I'd be able to resist the temptation again........:uhoh21:

I'd do it too, if given a chance. I'd view it as my right!