AboutTrisha Torrey, Every Patient's Advocate Expertise When you want to learn more about your diagnosis, medical tests, prescription drugs, talking to your doctor, or just want to find credible and reliable health or medical information on the internet, I can help steer you in the right direction. I'm not a doctor, nor a medical professional. I'm a patient safety, consumerism and advocacy specialist who believes patients do themselves a favor by finding reliable information on the internet, then sharing it with their health care providers.
Experience I am a consultant in patient advocacy and consumerism. I'm a newspaper columnist, radio talk show host, seminar leader, and owner of two websites to help those who want to learn more about their diseases or conditions: diagKNOWsis.org and EveryPatientsAdvocate.com
Organizations
Publications EveryPatientsAdvocate.com, syracuse.com (Syracuse Post Standard -- daily newspaper)
Education/Credentials Bachelors and Masters degrees in education. Marketing consultant for 25 years. This work, however, stems from a misdiagnosis I suffered in 2004 when I was told I had a rare cancer. I was able to do the necessary research to prove I had no cancer at all.
Question In 1987, I went into preterm labor at 30 weeks. When I was admitted to the hospital, I had to sign a waiver for medication because it was still "experimental" at the time and was not yet approved. I am trying to find the name of this medication to see if it is on/off the market and any potential effects this has had on its patients.
Answer Linda,
Whether or not you can get the information you need depends on what state you live in. The name of the medication will be contained in your medical records at the hospital, but your state law may, or may not, require that hospital to retain those records for you to see.
Different types of medical records in different states have different retention requirements. In some states, any records kept about obstetrics and birth must be retained forever, while other states require they be kept until the baby becomes an adult. Other states may require only ten years.
Do a search engine search with your state's name, plus "medical records retention" -- and see if you can find out how long your state must keep obstetrics or hospital records. Then, knowing that 1987 was 21 years ago, if you think those records will be available, go to that hospital and ask for copies of your records.
If those records still exist, then you have a right to obtain them. But, state law also determines whether you have to pay for them. Again, states vary. Some states tell the provider (in this case, the hospital) they can charge 50 cents a page. Others say a dollar a page.
