The closure of three doctors’ offices in the centre city area has patients wondering what happens to their medical records.
Three doctors are closing their practices at the Midtown Medical Clinic in the Lawton’s building on Campbell Avenue.
The NLMA says the College of Physicians and Surgeons requires retiring doctors to continue to be responsible for their patient’s medical records for a minimum of ten years after they close their practice.
That means that thousands of charts must be stored securely and protected from unauthorized access. That includes storage in their clinic or in a bonded commercial storage facility according to rules outlined in the Personal Health Information Act Policy Development Manual.
Some former patients have expressed concern after being contacted by a company offering electronic copies of their medical records for a fee.
The NLMA says patients have a right to access their medical records from vendors, some of whom may be located outside the province. The custodian of the records may charge a fee for providing a copy of a record in response to a request for access and the fee should not exceed the maximum fee set by the minister.
Meanwhile, the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association is releasing a new Family Physician Human Resource Forecast today.
The study documents the current shortage of family doctors in the province as well as the projected demand for physicians over the next ten years.
NLMA President Dr. Charlene Fitzgerald and Executive Director Dr. Robert Thompson will be joined by forecast author Dr. David Peachy of Health Intelligence Inc at NLMA offices in St. John’s today at noon.
