Final answer:
The physical health record is generally owned by the health care provider who created it, but patients have rights to access their records. Policies must balance treatment costs, quality of life, and privacy, especially concerning electronic health records. Privacy must be considered, even under laws like FOIA.
Step-by-step explanation:
The physical health record is usually considered the property of the health care provider that created it. However, patients have rights to access their health records, and providers generally cannot refuse to provide a copy, often at a fee. This right is enforced by laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States. Balancing these rights with the costs of medical treatments and diagnoses, patient quality of life, and risks to individual privacy, is critical in policy development.
When considering electronic health records (EHRs), one must address how their use could improve the quality and reduce the cost of health care while ensuring privacy protections are in place. Sharing digital records among health providers, for example, can facilitate this but must be done with strict adherence to patient privacy laws. One policy-related consideration would be the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which typically includes exceptions where disclosure is prohibited by law, such as the private medical records of government employees.