Posted by Alii on January 30, 2003, at 17:56:23
In reply to Re: What happens to our records? » mair, posted by Dinah on January 30, 2003, at 17:05:07
> I think there are laws that vary from state to state. The clinic my therapist works from is closing so we've discussed this recently.
>
> They're giving him a copy of my records, but they're required to keep the records for so many years after which they are supposed to incinerate or shred or otherwise dispose of them confidentially.
>
> In the case of a private practioner, where the records end up in the hands of the family, I'm not sure that could be enforced. I imagine the family could just put them in the trash or something without knowing any better. I'm almost positive I heard of a therapist's records sitting in his basement until his wife died. Then the family threw them out.
>After my father (a psychiatrist) died back in the early eighties we (his family) became the holders of his patients medical files. I was very young and the only thing I remember is that we had these files all along the wall of our garage for at least seven years after his death.
Then (after seven years had passed) we called out a shredder and dumpster team to get rid of the files that were never requested by patients or other doctors.
I'm sure there are some changes now but this was California back in the start of the Reagan years.
~Alii
poster:Alii
thread:2352
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20021230/msgs/2369.html