CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES - CHAPTER 369 HEALING ARTS

Question 1

Sec. 20-7b. Definitions. For purposes of sections 20-7b to 20-7e, inclusive:
(a) “Patient” means… and (b) “Provider” means…

Answer 1

a) a natural person who has received health care services from a provider for treatment of a medical condition, or a person he designates in writing as his representative
b) any person or organization that furnishes health care services and is licensed or certified to furnish such services pursuant to chapters 370 to 373, inclusive, 375 to 384a, inclusive, 388, 398 and 399 or is licensed or certified pursuant to chapter 368d.

Question 2

Sec. 20-7c. Access to medical records and information.
(a) (1) A provider, except as provided in section 4-194, shall supply to a patient upon request… and (2) a provider shall notify a patient of

Answer 2

1) complete and current information possessed by that provider concerning any diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the patient;
2) any test results in the provider’s possession that indicate a need for further treatment or diagnosis.

Question 3

(b) Upon a written request of a patient, his attorney or authorized representative, or pursuant to a written authorization, a provider, except as provided in section 4-194, shall furnish to the person making such request

Answer 3

a copy of the patient’s health record, including but not limited to, bills, x-rays and copies of laboratory reports, contact lens specifications based on examinations and final contact lens fittings given within the preceding three months or such longer period of time as determined by the provider but no longer than six months, records of prescriptions and other technical information used in assessing the patient’s health condition.

Question 4

What may a provider charge for furnishing a health record? Except when…

Answer 4

No provider shall charge more than forty-five cents per page, including any research fees, handling fees or related costs, and the cost of first class postage, if applicable, for furnishing a health record pursuant to this subsection,

except such provider may charge a patient the amount necessary to cover the cost of materials for furnishing a copy of an x-ray

Question 5

When can a provider NOT include a charge for furnishing a health record?

Answer 5

When the record or part thereof is necessary for the purpose of supporting a claim or appeal under any provision of the Social Security Act and the request is accompanied by documentation of the claim or appeal.

Question 6

A provider shall furnish a health record requested pursuant to this section within (how long) of the request?

Answer 6

Thirty days

Question 7

A provider may withhold health record information from the patient if they…

Answer 7

reasonably determines that the information is detrimental to the physical or mental health of the patient, or is likely to cause the patient to harm himself or another.

The information may be supplied to an appropriate third party or to another provider who may release the information to the patient

Question 8

If disclosure of information is refused by a provider under this subsection, any person aggrieved thereby may…

Answer 8

within thirty days of such refusal, petition the superior court for the judicial district in which he resides for an order requiring the provider to disclose the information

Question 9

Following petition to the superior court regarding refusal of a provider to furnish health records will… and then…

Answer 9

Hold a hearing and an in camera review of the information in question

shall issue the order requested unless it determines that such disclosure would be detrimental to the physical or mental health of the person or is likely to cause the person to harm himself or another.

Question 10

(d) The provisions of Sec. 20-7c Access to medical records and information shall not apply to…

Answer 10

any information relative to any psychiatric or psychological problems or conditions.

Question 11

Section 4-194 states that (a) If an agency determines that disclosure to a person of medical, psychiatric or psychological data concerning him would be detrimental to that person, or that nondisclosure to a person of personal data concerning him is otherwise permitted or required by law…

Answer 11

the agency may refuse to disclose that personal data, and shall refuse disclosure where required by law. In either case, the agency shall advise that person of his right to seek judicial relief.

Question 12

Sec. 20-7d. Release of patient’s medical records to another provider states that a copy of the patient’s health record, (including but not limited to, x- rays and copies of laboratory reports, prescriptions and other technical information used in assessing the patient’s condition) shall be furnished to another provider upon… specifying…

Who is responsible for the costs?

Answer 12

the written request of the patient.

The written request shall specify the name of the provider to whom the health record is to be furnished.

The patient shall be responsible for the reasonable costs of furnishing the information.

Question 13

As per Sec. 20-7e. Medical records maintained by agencies, the provisions of sections 20-7b to 20-7d, inclusive, shall not apply to medical records maintained by…

Answer 13

Any agency as defined in section 4-190 as each state or municipal board, commission, department or officer,

other than the legislature, courts, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General or town or regional boards of education, which maintains a personal data system.

Question 14

As per Section 19a-14-40 (Medical records, definition, purpose), the purpose of a medical record is to…

Answer 14

provide a vehicle for: documenting actions taken in patient management; documenting patient progress; providing meaningful medical information to other practitioners should the patient transfer to a new provider or should the provider be unavailable for some reason.

Question 15

As per Section 19a-14-40 (Medical records, definition, purpose), a medical record shall include, but not be limited to… All entries must be…

Answer 15

information sufficient to justify any diagnosis and treatment rendered,
dates of treatment,
actions taken by non-licensed persons when ordered or authorized by the provider;
doctors’ orders, nurses notes and charts,
birth certificate work-sheets,
and any other diagnostic data or documents specified in the rules and regulations.

All entries must be signed by the person responsible for them.

Question 16

As per Sec. 19a-14-41. (Professions involved),
each person licensed or certified pursuant to the following chapters and Acts shall maintain appropriate medical records of

Answer 16

the assessment, diagnosis, and course of treatment provided each patient, and such medical records shall be kept for the period prescribed

Question 17

As per Sec. 19a-14-42. (Retention schedule), unless specified otherwise herein, all parts of a medical record shall be retained for a period of… or upon death. of the patient…

Answer 17

seven (7) years from the last date of treatment, or,

upon the death of the patient, for three (3) years.

Question 18

(a) Pathology Slides, EEG and ECG Tracings must each be kept for…except…

Answer 18

seven (7) years.

If an ECG is taken and the results are unchanged from a previous ECG, then only the most recent results need be retained. Reports on each of these must be kept for the duration of the medical record

Question 19

(b) Lab Reports and PKU Reports must be kept for at least…

Answer 19

five (5) years. Only positive (abnormal) lab results need be retained.

Question 20

(c) X-Ray Films must be kept for…

Answer 20

three (3) years.

Question 21

19a-14-43. Exceptions states the following exceptions to the retention schedule laws

Answer 21

1) Nothing in these regulations shall prevent a practitioner from retaining records longer than the prescribed minimum.
2) When medical records for a patient are retained by a health care facility or organization, the individual practitioner shall not be required to maintain duplicate records and the retention schedules of the facility or organization shall apply to the records.
3) If a claim of malpractice, unprofessional conduct, or negligence with respect to a particular patient has been made, or if litigation has been commenced, then all records for that patient must be retained until the matter is resolved.
4) A consulting health care provider need not retain records if they are sent to the referring provider, who must retain them. If a patient requests his records to be transferred to another provider who then becomes the primary provider to the patient, then the first provider is no longer required to retain that patient’s records.

Question 22

As per 19a-14-44. (Discontinuance of practice), upon the death or retirement of a practitioner, it shall be the responsibility of the practitioner or surviving responsible relative or executor to inform patients by…

Answer 22

placing a notice in a daily local newspaper published in the community which is the prime locus of the practice

Question 23

Notice of discontinuation pf practice in newspaper must… and what in addition?

Answer 23

This notice shall be no less than two columns wide and no less than two inches in height. The notice shall appear twice, seven days apart.

In addition, an individual letter is to be sent to each patient seen within the three years preceding the date of discontinuance of the practice.

Question 24

Medical records of all patients must be retained for how long after discontinuation of practice?

Answer 24

At least sixty days following both the public and private notice to patients