Am I Entitled to my Colonoscopy results?

Two months ago I finally received my written results after many requests, I get a call this morning from my old doc and they remind me I have an appointment tomorrow, which I cancel and say that I've already signed a release form for all documents to be sent to my new doctor. I ask the receptionist to also send my colonoscopy pictures because the new doc is missing them, and the receptionist tells me, "those are the doctors pics to keep" and I say, "am i not legally entitled to get my pictures that i paid for?" W.T.F. "i can give you black and white copies, but you wont see much". Well how nice of you to provide me with something I can't make use of! What is wrong with these people, I paid for the colonoscopy, are those color-pictures legally mine to have?

I think that you are only legally entiled to a copy, not the originals, but I'm not 100% positive.

Maybe they'll let you sign a release stating you'll bring them back, and you can take them somewhere to have color copies made. Or ask if they can scan them in color and send you a PDF/JPEG/etc version via email. Then you can print your own copies or send them on to your new doc via email.

Stereo,

Ask your new GI to request them with your signed release, and they MUST release them. They are yours to keep. The receptionist is just playing ***** if you ask me, figuring you won't keep asking.

The loudest wheel gets the grease...

InDoFla has it right and wrong. They must release them for continuation of care. They are in the same category as x-ray and MRI films. They belong to the facility, and you are only promised the report of a radiologist who "reads" them, but some sort of copy is generally provided. (I was given a sheet with about 30 color photos on it when I left the hospital. The actual film was a 30 minute video).

They seldom release films to the patient because patients may not bring them back. They need originals in case there is any future issue with care or diagnosis. But, they will loan films to other professionals. I have had to do this several time with films of the MRI I had of my pituitary.

So they must provide them, but they are not yours to keep. Also, some places that have gone digital can give you an exact copy and still have the original - but even then they would usually give a set of still shots instead of the movie they made in your colon.

But having said all this, it is not law, but professional standards. There are no film police. So if a particular practice has another interpretation, and provided more or less, your only real recourse would be a complaint to the medical board (which could take a year) or suing, which could also take a year.

I suggest sugar instead of vinegar, and have the best resolution/original (along with biopsy reports) sent directly to the new doc's office. That office will assume any responsibility for returning anything that needs returning.

In Alberta where I live, patients have no legal access to their medical files, they can be sent to a new doc but the patient has to pay for them to be sent to a new doc and the price tends to vary on how big your file being sent is...it can be quite pricey and I don't know if they send colonoscopy pics or not.

If you're in the US, it sounds like about the same stupid system as we have here...ridiculous eh, our files yet we have no rights to them other than to have them sent to a new doc, yet we have to pay for that service...even if your doc is retiring, you still have to pay to get your file transfered.