This is why it's important to read your own medical records

Have you ever contemplated reading your own medical records as captured during visits to your doctors’? And I don’t mean any edited or summarized records. You may cringe at the thought of leafing through detailed notes describing your medical frailties. But the practice is already commonplace for many, and some find it helpful in having a full understanding of their illnesses.

Electronic medical records continue to replace handwritten doctor’s notes. Add this to the clamour of unrestricted access to medical records, and you have a ready recipe for reading through your own notes. When at your doctor’s, discussions can be captured electronically, either as typed documents or audial files. You could immediately get a copy as you leave, or a password to access the notes via an encrypted server at a convenient time.

Accessing your medical records enables you to review everything that was discussed, and clarify matters that may have escaped your attention. You can immediately get back to your doctor if anything is unclear. You get an uncensored view of what your doctor may be thinking. You can also get someone else to read through the notes and help with further interpretations. Some have felt more involved in their own care just by reading through what their doctors jot down.

But there are those who would rather not read through grim details of their ailments. Just knowing what is ailing you may be all you want to know, without necessarily reading detailed descriptions of your condition. It can all be too much for some, leading to negative feelings that may best be avoided, especially if recovery is a remote chance.

There is also a concern about how much doctors will actually capture, knowing all too well that you will go through it later. Will some facts actually be left out, or tempered in a way that is deemed more acceptable to you? If you are going to access your notes remotely, there is always the possibility that the notes may be edited prior to being made available. All this would mean that you are not getting the entire picture when you read through.

Whatever the case may be, you have the liberty to seek access to your medical records at any time. What you end up doing with them is up to you. Your interest should be to consolidate your records, and use them to optimize outcomes of your medical care. Having an understanding with your medical team about access to your records is a good starting point. Get your doctor to jot down everything in plain language, any medical jargon you cannot understand will be of no use.