Do PDs have my old patient records from 5 years ago?

[GonefromTX]

A bit of a paranoid question (I'll try my best to stop asking so many questions, i promise!) I've decided to do a rotation at this hospital in my hometown (Austin). Say 5 years ago I was hospitalized at this hospital for appendicitis and a complication due to a medical error happened. I never filed a lawsuit or anything because the caregivers were all very genuinely good people.

Would the ortho PD have access to my old medical records if I let him know that I was once a patient there? I want to tell him because one of the reasons (beside my family living in Austin) that I want to do my residency here is because I liked the hospital's culture and had a good experience at this hospital despite the complication. Just worried that the PD might think I'll reopen my lawsuit if I had access to my own files if I worked there and whatnot.

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[sliceofbread136]

Nope

 

[Smurfette]

A bit of a paranoid question (I'll try my best to stop asking so many questions, i promise!) I've decided to do a rotation at this hospital in my hometown (Austin). Say 5 years ago I was hospitalized at this hospital for appendicitis and a complication due to a medical error happened. I never filed a lawsuit or anything because the caregivers were all very genuinely good people.

Would the ortho PD have access to my old medical records if I let him know that I was once a patient there? I want to tell him because one of the reasons (beside my family living in Austin) that I want to do my residency here is because I liked the hospital's culture and had a good experience at this hospital despite the complication. Just worried that the PD might think I'll reopen my lawsuit if I had access to my own files if I worked there and whatnot.

1. If you never filed a lawsuit, how could you reopen it? There is a statute of limitations for filing a malpractice lawsuit in most states. Not sure what TX law is. You may be unable to file at this point, even if you wanted to, making this a non-issue going forward.
2. Unless the ortho PD is treating you for a medical issue, it would be a HIPAA violation to access your medical record. There's actually no reason to disclose that you previously were a patient there or that you had a complication.

 

[GonefromTX]

1. If you never filed a lawsuit, how could you reopen it? There is a statute of limitations for filing a malpractice lawsuit in most states. Not sure what TX law is. You may be unable to file at this point, even if you wanted to, making this a non-issue going forward.
2. Unless the ortho PD is treating you for a medical issue, it would be a HIPAA violation to access your medical record. There's actually no reason to disclose that you previously were a patient there or that you had a complication.

I guess theres really not much benefit in letting him know I was a patient. Just looking to score some (probably insignificant) brownie points if he ever asks the "why do you want to do your residency here" question.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

A bit of a paranoid question (I'll try my best to stop asking so many questions, i promise!) I've decided to do a rotation at this hospital in my hometown (Austin). Say 5 years ago I was hospitalized at this hospital for appendicitis and a complication due to a medical error happened. I never filed a lawsuit or anything because the caregivers were all very genuinely good people.

Would the ortho PD have access to my old medical records if I let him know that I was once a patient there? I want to tell him because one of the reasons (beside my family living in Austin) that I want to do my residency here is because I liked the hospital's culture and had a good experience at this hospital despite the complication. Just worried that the PD might think I'll reopen my lawsuit if I had access to my own files if I worked there and whatnot.

I wouldn't mention you were a patient here at all--unless you were treated by one of the orthopods, it doesn't matter. Accessing data is a hipaa violation so they wouldn't be able to, but I don't think it will earn you any brownie points.

 

[DrBowtie]

I guess theres really not much benefit in letting him know I was a patient. Just looking to score some (probably insignificant) brownie points if he ever asks the "why do you want to do your residency here" question.

Just say it's your hometown and leave it at that. You'll check the local connection box without being awkward about it.

 

[AcademicNeurosurgery]

I doubt the PD would have time/care enough to look you up if you mentioned you were a patient once. And as mentioned, it would be a HIPAA violation. I personally believe it is fine to mention that you were a patient at the hospital once (just be vague or say you knew someone who was a patient) and found the culture of the hospital to be a good fit. It's not going to make or break you but may be slightly more convincing than just mentioning "I'm from the area".

 

[Peach Newport]

So, similar question:

What if doing an away rotation at a place that I was once hospitalized... if I was hospitalized for a severely embarrassing accident that, although occurring >6-7 years prior, would seriously call my professional judgement into question?

 

[GonefromTX]

So, similar question:

What if doing an away rotation at a place that I was once hospitalized... if I was hospitalized for a severely embarrassing accident that, although occurring >6-7 years prior, would seriously call my professional judgement into question?

Well thats easy lol don't tell anyone u were hospitalized at all. And hope that no one recognizes u.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I guess theres really not much benefit in letting him know I was a patient. Just looking to score some (probably insignificant) brownie points if he ever asks the "why do you want to do your residency here" question.

"Your doctors messed up my case, so bored I want to come here to learn"

It'll go great.

 

[thes_hunter]

Can't tell if either of you are med students or a residents.

As a med student, I would suggest not even going close to your old records. Your PD won't care pre-emptively about your old records, but will care if IT contacts them if your account gets flagged for suspicious activity.

As a resident/staff, we signed documents that spelled out the expectations for us accessing our medical records. Even though it was allowed, I still don't advise reading the notes from other providers.

As for remembering or recognizing you...
Docs see a large number of people every day. We probably won't remember a patient 6-7 years later. (Or even a few weeks if out of context) Even if the story was that the patient was walking around naked, and just so happened to slip and fall on to of those coke bottles they hadn't recycled. Chances are low that anyone would remember, unless someone personally knew you from outside of the hospital.

 

[673441]

I guess theres really not much benefit in letting him know I was a patient. Just looking to score some (probably insignificant) brownie points if he ever asks the "why do you want to do your residency here" question.

Heh? 1) wth does it matter if you were a patient there with appendicitis? 2) why should your ortho PD care? 3) how exactly does this become "brownie points?"


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[GonefromTX]

Heh? 1) wth does it matter if you were a patient there with appendicitis? 2) why should your ortho PD care? 3) how exactly does this become "brownie points?"


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AcademicNeurosurgery has articulately penned down my reasoning. It may seem trivial to you, but I'm doing whatever I can to land my dream specialty.

 

[ridethecliche]

"Hi, it's me. I like this institution so much that I could have sued y'all but I decided not to. Did I tell you yet that I like the culture here? Well let me tell you that I like the culture here so much that I decided not to sue. Did I mention that I could have sued y'all. Oh, ps. brownie pts plz."

Da faq?

If your reasons are less compelling because you leave out the medical error ****, then your reasons are the opposite of compelling.

What does your appendectomy have to do with the ortho team? The culture between their team and the team that took care of you is totally different.... It's irrelevant.

 

[GonefromTX]

"Hi, it's me. I like this institution so much that I could have sued y'all but I decided not to. Did I tell you yet that I like the culture here? Well let me tell you that I like the culture here so much that I decided not to sue. Did I mention that I could have sued y'all. Oh, ps. brownie pts plz."

Da faq?

If your reasons are less compelling because you leave out the medical error ****, then your reasons are the opposite of compelling.

What does your appendectomy have to do with the ortho team? The culture between their team and the team that took care of you is totally different.... It's irrelevant.

Uh. You misread the whole thing. kthxbye

 

[ridethecliche]

Uh. You misread the whole thing. kthxbye

To echo southernsurgeon... "that's a pretty weird reason."

It's legitimately not relevant. The culture of the team that was caring for you is irrelevant to the team that you're trying to get a foot in the door with...

Kthxbai.

 

[GonefromTX]

To echo southernsurgeon... "that's a pretty weird reason."

It's legitimately not relevant. The culture of the team that was caring for you is irrelevant to the team that you're trying to get a foot in the door with...

Kthxbai.

Again u misread the point. Thanks for your in-depth (though mistaken) analysis for the whole situation though!!

 

[ridethecliche]

 

[MSTP18]

I'm sure the records are physically present and - if the PD has no qualms about violating health privacy laws - could see them, but I'm going to assume the ortho PD likes his job and would not want to risk losing it to look up a random applicant's appy op note.