As of November 2, 2020, patients now have additional rights to their medical files under the full implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act, the last legislation signed by the Obama administration which coincidentally included the provision giving individuals the right to create their own SNT.

“Starting in the beginning of November, healthcare organizations must provide patients access to their electronic health data, free of charge. This requirement is different from those elucidated in the HIPAA Privacy Rule because it requires patients to have immediate access to their digital data, such as via a patient portal.

On the whole, providers must be able to make eight types of patient data available to all patients, free of charge:

•  Consultation notes
• Discharge summary notes
• History and physical
•  Imaging narratives
•  Laboratory report narratives
•  Pathology report narratives
•  Procedure notes
•  Progress notes”