Understanding and complying with the Georgia Health Records Act

Most physicians are generally aware of the fact that, in some cases, under some circumstances, physicians are required to provide some patients with copies of some medical records. Surprisingly, however, most physicians are not aware of the fact that, since 1984, Georgia has had a statute on the books which imposes some fairly specific requirements on physicians and other healthcare providers, in terms of providing copies of medical records to patients. In this month's Legal Section, we take a closer look at the Georgia Health Records Act; we also describe the results of the first appellate-level case interpreting the provisions of that Act, recently decided by the Georgia Court of Appeals.