What right allows a person to request a change in their medical records?

What right allows a person to request a change in their medical records?

• A. The right to access medical records
• B. The right to amend protected health information
• C. The right to confidentiality
• D. The right to treatment

Answer: (B)

The correct choice highlights that individuals have the right to request an amendment to their protected health information. This is anchored in laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, which explicitly grants patients the ability to request corrections to their medical records. This right is critical in ensuring that individuals can maintain accurate and up-to-date information about their health, which holds significant implications for their care and treatment. When a person identifies an error or an outdated entry in their medical records, they can formally request a change or correction. This process is essential for empowering patients, enhancing the accuracy of medical documentation, and fostering trust in the healthcare system. It underscores the emphasis on patient autonomy, which is a key principle in ethical healthcare practices. While other options focus on related rights—such as access to medical records, confidentiality, or the right to treatment—they do not specifically address the ability to request changes or amendments to the records themselves. Thus, they do not capture the direct action that individuals can take regarding their protected health information.

The correct choice highlights that individuals have the right to request an amendment to their protected health information. This is anchored in laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, which explicitly grants patients the ability to request corrections to their medical records. This right is critical in ensuring that individuals can maintain accurate and up-to-date information about their health, which holds significant implications for their care and treatment.

When a person identifies an error or an outdated entry in their medical records, they can formally request a change or correction. This process is essential for empowering patients, enhancing the accuracy of medical documentation, and fostering trust in the healthcare system. It underscores the emphasis on patient autonomy, which is a key principle in ethical healthcare practices.

While other options focus on related rights—such as access to medical records, confidentiality, or the right to treatment—they do not specifically address the ability to request changes or amendments to the records themselves. Thus, they do not capture the direct action that individuals can take regarding their protected health information.