Hoping to get some input here: I requested my x-rays and was emailed a single image showing THUMBNAILS of my x-rays, from within their practice management system. The office manager refused to send me larger, viable, x-rays. She said she couldn’t even take a larger screenshot of each x-ray, which is baffling to me. When I asked for clarification she called me on the phone, clearly upset, said I was taking up too much of her time, and that she could only send x-rays to other dentists if they used their same system – but she refused to tell me the name of that system. I THINK she means a secure messaging portal of some sort, but she refused to go into it further and treated me like an idiot and an inconvenience.
So I sent them a 30 day notice to comply with HIPAA, as I have a right to receive my actual x-rays.
The office replied by saying they can only send x-rays provider-to-provider because their images are encrypted. They claim sending a screenshot of thumbnails to the patient is legit, and their ONLY option – which sounds like BS to me. They then contradict themselves and say “It is a requirement by HIPAA Law to only send digital patient files encrypted to anyone or any provider”. So, do I not qualify as “anyone”? Send them to me, via secure messaging portal then!
They go on to say that they were able to get bigger screenshots PRINTED – and mailed those to me – and say this is what they send in the mail for specialty referrals. This “print out” of “bigger screenshots” is a joke though – see attachment. It’s literally four small images printed out on HALF a sheet of 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. I can't fathom how this can be used for diagnostic purposes.
I’ve never been treated like this before – never had any problem getting actual x-rays from other dentists, or orthodontists. They either send it via email or a secure messaging portal. No big deal.
Perhaps the letter of the law states that x-rays have to be sent securely? OK; fine. Send them to me via a secure messaging portal, then. That’s not my problem to figure out – it’s theirs.
Am I right?
Furthermore, they claim they can take “larger screenshots” to print out – yet can’t send larger screenshots to me, via email? This also makes zero sense to me.
Thanks for the input, all.
So I sent them a 30 day notice to comply with HIPAA, as I have a right to receive my actual x-rays.
The office replied by saying they can only send x-rays provider-to-provider because their images are encrypted. They claim sending a screenshot of thumbnails to the patient is legit, and their ONLY option – which sounds like BS to me. They then contradict themselves and say “It is a requirement by HIPAA Law to only send digital patient files encrypted to anyone or any provider”. So, do I not qualify as “anyone”? Send them to me, via secure messaging portal then!
They go on to say that they were able to get bigger screenshots PRINTED – and mailed those to me – and say this is what they send in the mail for specialty referrals. This “print out” of “bigger screenshots” is a joke though – see attachment. It’s literally four small images printed out on HALF a sheet of 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. I can't fathom how this can be used for diagnostic purposes.
I’ve never been treated like this before – never had any problem getting actual x-rays from other dentists, or orthodontists. They either send it via email or a secure messaging portal. No big deal.
Perhaps the letter of the law states that x-rays have to be sent securely? OK; fine. Send them to me via a secure messaging portal, then. That’s not my problem to figure out – it’s theirs.
Am I right?
Furthermore, they claim they can take “larger screenshots” to print out – yet can’t send larger screenshots to me, via email? This also makes zero sense to me.
Thanks for the input, all.
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