Why must medical letters be sealed?
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OK. I have been wanting to ask this, and I wonder why nobody really asked this in sgforums.
Can anyone enlighten me about why letters from hospitals and clinics have to be sealed? Why do we not have the right to read letters that have got to do with our own medical conditions?
For issue of confidentiality and privacy? Well, the letters were often given to the patients themselves to pass to the next doctor, so it is up to the patient himself or herself to safeguard his or her own privacy. Is that not logical?
Just like when we are hospitalised, if we dare touch those case files of our own, we would either be chided by the nurses or told sternly that we are not supposed to look into them. But why? These are records of our own conditions, and since doctors and nurses are often not very interested to give you adequate attention to update your medical conditions, why forbid the patients to take a look at their own case files?
Anyone, please enlighten. -
maybe they dun wan u to change anything on the note, or read alrd then try to chao keng in front of MO (for NS guys)...?
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OK.. good point.. thanks, tamago.. But I am still not convinced enough.. If that is the case, then they should take care of the administrative procedures to send the letters to their fellwo colleagues in another hospital/clinic themselves..Originally posted by ^tamago^:maybe they dun wan u to change anything on the note, or read alrd then try to chao keng in front of MO (for NS guys)...?
Any other enlightenment, anyone? -
maybe theres a case b4 where a patient know that he had cancer after reading that dammed letter and killed himself. so now.patienst caoot read lorOriginally posted by ellisbeck:OK.. good point.. thanks, tamago.. But I am still not convinced enough.. If that is the case, then they should take care of the administrative procedures to send the letters to their fellwo colleagues in another hospital/clinic themselves..
Any other enlightenment, anyone? -
they dun want you to see that hiv positive mark before they can console you.
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if u want siam arrow, wld u tell ur boss tat u dun want to do cos incompete or lazy to do?
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Sigh.. I am serious about asking this because it's bugging me..
Nothing to do with malingering. I have no need to do so. Not likely to be HIV positive too, thanks for the concern, because I only have one faithful partner. -
I'm not sure of the reason, but in profession, letters are meant to be sealed.
As for Case Files in hospital, its only meant for the doctors and not patients and thus you are not allowed to view it. Though it's a record of your own condition and stuffs, it's still not meant for others to read. -
OK... Anybody even clearer of the possible reasons?Originally posted by photo_seeker:I'm not sure of the reason, but in profession, letters are meant to be sealed.
As for Case Files in hospital, its only meant for the doctors and not patients and thus you are not allowed to view it. Though it's a record of your own condition and stuffs, it's still not meant for others to read. -
My theory...
1) Letters are meant to be for another doctor to read.
So it's like a letter from doctor to doctor. So like any personal letter.
2) You might have a condition that would bring you into self-denial and not seek medical condition at all.
3) The doctor writing the letter might not know your problem. So he writes a letter stating his observation and request the other doctor to review. The doctor don't want you to speculate your own problem.
4) Prevent tempering for personal benefit.
5) Prevent you from "planning your assualt" on the next doctor. -
to increase sales...
