Author(s)

Milena Marinič^*

Master of Law, University Psychiatric Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Health records have played an increasingly important role throughout history as an important legal document for the exercise of individuals’ rights. However, domestic legislation fails to define health records as a legally important collection of health data and documents. Recording facts and storing legally important documents are therefore the tasks of the operator. Using the prescriptive method we will determine which laws are governing the management of medical records, their safety and accessibility. Based on the descriptive method, we will describe the process of handling health records by the provider of health treatment, focusing on exposed regulatory gaps in the area of the protection of the rights of an individual. Through the analysis of the laws governing the management of health records, even after death and operator terminating the service, we will carry out inductive reasoning and provide conclusions regarding the attitude towards health records. Considering different results we can conclude that health information, especially documents relevant to the protection of individual’s rights, is not transparent. Above all, the documents in the collection are not recorded properly, thus allowing for their removal. Even the transfer of health records by the provider of health treatment is not defined, which could result in the disposal of the entire health documentation.

Health Records, Content Security, Legal Certainty

Marinič, M. (2015) The Importance of Health Records. Health, 7, 617-624. doi: 10.4236/health.2015.75073.