Who Owns Patient Records?

Who owns patient records? The consumer? The professional? The provider organization? The payer? The information system manager? In theory, the consumer. In practice, it's not so clear.

Under HIPAA, consumers have certain rights to data privacy and security. And organizations that breach those rules face fines and other penalties (see You Can Protect Your Health Care Data, But Are You? all members). And we've covered how technology can improve consumer data privacy in 'Smart Tech' Can Protect Patient Privacy all members and how protecting consumer privacy can be an organizational asset in The ROI Of A Commitment To . . .