LEGAL PERSPECTIVE TO MEDICAL RECORD ACCESS

1. Why is vital to report medical records that pose a risk to community health and welfare. (1st read below)

Many state statutes and a few federal regulations require the reporting of certain types of information, from the medical record, to appropriate agencies with or without the patients autho- rization.

Common legal reporting requirements found in most American jurisdictions include:

Child abuse Drug abuse Communicable disease Injuries with guns or knives Blood transfusion reactions Poison and industrial accidents