About's Headaches editor, Teri Robert is a patient advocate. Very often the articles she writes have applications wider than her topic alone. With the subject of back and neck as close as it is to headaches, I thought we could all learn something about HIPAA and our rights to our own medical records, when I saw her article Your Rights to Your Medical Records Under HIPAA.

In Teri's words:
Our medical records are vitally important for a number of reasons. They obviously are the method by which our current doctors follow our health and our health care. They're also important to provide background if you need to see a specialist and to bring new doctors up-to-speed. Our medical records are the records of the people with whom we literally entrust our lives. Let's explore some of the issues regarding medical records. This applies not only to doctors who care for you for your headaches or Migraines, but for any doctor for any condition.