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State Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, introduced House Bill 1137
earlier this week at the state capitol building in Springfield.
The legislation comes after the Prieto v Rush University Medical
Center case, which found the plaintiff's medical records were
changed without notification.
Earlier this week, Caulkins stood aside patient rights advocates
from the Family Justice Center and explained his measure.
"This bill is about patient records, and it's about the
patient," Caulkins said. "It's about the ability to know what's
in your record in real and accurate time. It's also about
knowing if there has been any change to your record."
According to Caulkins, the measure aims to ensure a patient has
access to accurate and up-to-date records, set up legal
repercussions for those who do not follow the measure, and
create an audit trail that logs who enters the records at any
time.
Caulkins said having this information available to a patient at
any time is crucial for that patient's well-being.
"They may have told you to come back in a year and then the labs
come back and they go, nope, we need to see you in three months.
Well, if you're not seeing that in your medical record because
you think you do not need to do anything for a year, you may
miss that opportunity," Caulkins said. "You may miss going back
in three months to have your condition checked up, and that
could lead to serious medical consequences."
If passed, the measure aims to notify patients of any changes
via email within 72 hours.
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Andrew Hensel reports on issues in Chicago and
Statewide. He has been with The Center Square News since April
of 2021 and was previously with The Joliet Slammers.
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