HHS Releases a New Resource to Help Individuals Access and Use Their Health Information

The Department of Health and Human Services ' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has issued the ONC Guide to Getting and Using your Health Records , a online resource for individuals, recipients, and caregivers. The guide notifies consumers about the value of health information, and offers individuals clear, actionable advice on how to access their health record, including offering tips through the process of accessing their records electronically; checking their record to ensure it is complete, correct, and up-to-date; and using their electronic health records, such as sharing their records to better coordinate their care and using apps and other digital technologies to better manage and improve their health. "It's important that consumers and their caregivers have access to their own health information so they can make decisions about their care and treatments," says National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Don Rucker. "This guide will help answer some of the questions that consumers may have when asking for their health information." Nearly half of Americans in 2017 who were offered access to an online medical record did not access it, often listing a perceived lack of need as one reason. Consumers may not understand their right under the HIPAA Privacy Rule to access their health data, or may be unaware of the benefits of accessing such information.