Whatever, in connection with my professional practice, or not in connection with it, I may see or hear in the lives of men which ought not to be spoken abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret.—The Oath of Hippocrates
The complex and often bitter debate over who shall have access to employee medical records will reach a denouement within the next several months as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ponders the final details of a new set of regulations in this area.
The proposed OSHA regulations, while pertaining only to employee medical records, may well mark the beginning of a tumultuous upheaval in the traditional handling of all medical records.
In addition, several signs indicate that Congress is primed to tackle the records confidentiality issue in the present session. Senate bill 3450, along with House of Representatives bill 13994, both