[dvtrn]

every time I've done it the response is always defensive, ie "why do you need them"

I was asked this once after requesting mine. I flatly said "I don't", and waited. The person on the other end of the line was clearly thrown off by this, probably expecting something they could dish out a canned response to, hoping I'd give up. It was obvious from their voice they were scrambling for what to say to that.

A bit of rigmarole later, I had my medical records.

[davycro]

I encourage patients to read or listen to me dictate my note about them during our exam. Often they catch something that I had misinterpreted.

[tempestn]

That's a great idea! Simple and sounds very effective.

[ams6110]

Side question, would the "right to be forgotten" also entitle you to call your doctor and demand that all your medical records be destroyed?

[conanbatt]

Docs need to keep a history for multiple reasons, from insurance to malpractice lawsuits, so no.

[tacon]

My understanding is that, in the US, your medical records are the property of the healthcare provider, absent some contractual language otherwise. The new thing was the federal law that required them to give you a copy of everything at cost. Before that, the only sure way to get a copy of your medical records was to sue the provider and perform document discovery.

[ryandrake]

Why would they be so hesitant? Surely it’s not that extra work for an office admin to pull something up and hit “print”.

[nradov]

Some doctors have been concerned that patients lack the education needed to interpret their own charts. So when patients don't understand something they call back and ask a lot of questions, which doctors see as a waste of time. (I don't agree with this perspective, just giving some context.)

[hopler]

In the US that's fine, because the doctor can bill for the follow-up consultation.

[nradov]

Answering questions over the phone is usually not billable.

[brokenmachine]

Most patient management systems don't have a convenient "print" button to print out the entire file.

Individual documents/entries, yes. Everything, no.