I was violently sexually assaulted after being drugged. I was then accused of physically assaulting the person who violently sexually assaulted me.
As a result of that accusation of physical assault, I spent time involuntarily at a psychiatric hospital that was extremely corrupt. Patients often were physically hurt, some died of neglect, and the staff who worked there were often emotionally abusive. Additionally, when patients complained or tried to exercise legal remedies to leave, they were often retaliated against, with corrupt psych tech workers writing lies in the charts of patients who lacked subservience. They killed one of my friends (by treating her medical illness as psychiatric, drugging her to the point she couldn’t stand… she saying she felt like her heart was beating so fast it was going to break, she screamed as they kept drugging her, until the physical disease made major advancements due to neglect and killed her). Worst of all, they all thought they were so wonderful and did not let people out unless they expressed “gratitude” and how wonderful the awful place was. Many of the workers there tried to proselytize patients when others weren’t around. To say I hate them all is a gross understatement and although I’m not religious, I hope one day there is a special version of hell for all of them and that they suffer greatly.
In order to deal with their corruption, I agreed with everything they said, even the stuff that made no sense. I was sometimes diagnosed with illnesses I clearly didn’t have. For example, they would say something like “It looks like you have trichotillomania” (this is a disorder in which people compulsively remove hair) and I would be like “yep, makes sense” despite having a full head of hair, no scabs, and no hallmark signs of trichotillomania, and I would literally agree with their stupid conclusions because I thought it would make it more likely I wouldn’t be killed by their neglect. (By their neglect, I mean that they regularly kept the most violent psychotically unstable patients with others who were vulnerable and every day was a random chance of death.) Most of the people who worked there were morons, and I left the facility without a PTSD diagnosis despite having frequent flashbacks of being sexually assaulted. I did not mention flashbacks or try to get any care there because they were all psychologically abusive and nothing good ever happened there. They also diagnosed me with many disorders (possibly over 10? I lost track of all the bullshit) and said I needed about 10 different medications, many of which were tranquilizers, many of which I had spit into the toilet for the long duration of my stay. I promised I would take them all… forever… and was so grateful… and eventually left. The hospital left me psychologically much much more damaged and the only thing it really did is teach me how to lie better.
As soon as I was out as a result of agreeing with their idiocy, I threw out all the pills and got a full-time job doing [redacted]. Fast forward [redacted] years after my release, and I still have a full time job and medical insurance which I have actually never used during my entire employment. I get what are possibly panic attacks whenever I am near any hospital. But I am trying to get medical care because I have an unexplained lump. I am looking for a primary care doctor and every place has something called “MyChart” and multiple places have information, including my social security number and address at this involuntary facility, something I never said MyChart could have, never agreed to. Yet again, my boundaries are not being respected.
So I consider my prior address at this facility to be personally identifiable information and Social Security number to be personally identifiable. I did not sign a HIPPA release to willingly share this with MyChart. I also spoke with several hospitals and they said that even if set up a different profile, because there’s the same social security number, they will eventually be merged.
Doctors are incredibly expensive. I do not want to talk with each new doctor, at 500 dollars an hour, about a sexual assault and past diagnosis at a hospital which I only supplied invalid information to in the hopes of leaving quickly enough to not be killed. I just want a damn lump looked at to find out if I have cancer. I hate doctors, I probably have worse PTSD from being in that shithole of a facility but will never know because I will never talk with a psychiatrist or psychologist again and I sometimes also get flashbacks of the hospital. I generally avoid medical care entirely because of that awful place and am only dealing with this now because there’s a lump that is quite possibly cancerous.
Every doctor will want to ask me about this at 500 dollars an hour, every doctor will want me to sign a release and charge me for reviewing these records and may refuse to provide care if I don’t once they see I was in this horrible place. They will want me to pay 500 an hour or more to explain why I disagree with each diagnosis. It’s a horrible waste of money, it’s invasive of my privacy, and I have NEVER consented for any of this medical information to be shared with a central database called MyChart. I’m terrified of being held against my will and forcibly drugged again just by seeing a doctor.
Is this something that is legal under HIPPA? For all of this information to be sent to MyChart without my consent, which inherently shares things like address information and prior places of treatment with any provider that has this? This seems like it should actually be protected information under HIPPA (who I’ve seen, previous addresses, all linked to my social). Multiple potential providers knew of my address at this horrible psychologically abusive facility, at which point I told them I would have to see someone else. Am I able to demand that MyChart delete a profile about me?
I am so fucking angry. My privacy is always stolen from me. I’m not a perfect person, but I just want medical care without having to be charged 500 an hour for someone to be required under their own ethical rules to pressure me to see a doctor and get drugged and discuss a being sexually assaulted. I just want a lump looked at. I just want medical care for the specific things I need medical care for.
If there is no way to stop this, I will just continue to not get medical treatment and if the pain gets worse or it spreads, I’ll just overdose on something like heroin so I can avoid interacting with doctors. The flashbacks of the rape and from the hospital constantly bother me, perhaps death is alright. I just have no privacy, I can’t have any privacy at all. That hospital taught me clearly: my boundaries do not matter. My body, that’s not private… and when I was locked up they forced me, on threat of not releasing me (which could mean death) to discuss things over and over with all sorts of new people, including group therapy with patients I disliked that was effectively required or they wouldn’t release me, including new doctors who rotated in and out of a facility. I hope it was elucidating for those rotating fucks and that they learned something from my forced discussions, which were done under fear of death, since they moved non-compliant patients to more violent areas of the hospital. I just give up, fuck medical care.
Can MyChart do this? I feel like they are violating me all over again and I want everything they have about me deleted forever. I also have never authorized MyChart during those times, never said it was okay.
Just an FYI, MyChart is a branded property of Epic Systems Corp, a private company based out of Wisconsin. I think you should absolutely have control over your own medical records, but as far as I know, the aspect of MyChart and Epic’s electronic medical records system that allows cross hospital sharing, called Care Everywhere was built to comply with HIPAA.
That doesn’t leave you without any recourse though. I believe you are able to opt out of Care Everywhere. Here’s an example of a random hospital’s information page that describes how you can opt out of their sharing their EMR data outside their organization. The problem here is as far as I know, you would need to work with the old psych hospital that you had such a terrible experience with. I’d try barking up that tree first and seeing if they’ll work with you. From there you might be able to reach out to epic directly to see if they can help.
Good luck, and feel free to ask me anything more. I’m pretty familiar with the general topic
They kept many people in that hospital until they died, including many people who came in psychotic and stopped being psychotic a month or two later, and I also believed during my forced stay I would die there. I only got out through subterfuge. I keep my address a secret because of that hospital, I am afraid to get medical care because of that hospital. I do not think it would be smart to talk with them directly. I hate them, I also am not sure I could contain my rage at them for all the horrible ways they treated me and others if I were to interact with them verbally. They also lie often and I wouldn’t be willing to talk with them unless it was on a recorded line.
That information was shared by EPIC without my authorization. I shouldn’t have to interact with a facility that was emotionally abusive, forcing me to share trauma in group therapy with prejudiced people I hated and with rotating clinicians on threat of death, just to remove information that I never allowed.
I also was forced to sign many things during my stay under threat of death, because they moved the non-compliant patients to the violent area of the facility in which they kept the habitually violent patients. So they didn’t directly physically abuse patients, they just sent the patients who didn’t do what they said to areas of the facility where they would be very likely to be abused by unstable violent patients. Many patients in these areas were assaulted, killings weren’t often but they happened enough that I felt like many things I either had to sign or risk death. I don’t think I signed off on MyChart, however. They did once treat something outside the facility and made me sign forms. It was the sort of thing where if you even tried to slow down to read it they would accuse you of being “manipulative” and increase the amount of tranquilizers you were forced to take (lest you wish to be moved to the violent areas of the facility).
I would rather file a federal complaint against Epic Systems for the Office of Civil Rights, since I don’t believe they ever got my explicit authorization and they are the ones sharing information, which I absolutely did not consent to. It just is awful because I worry about the awful facility being looped in and trying to ensnare me again. I also did contact Epic Systems by email but did not receive any reply.
It’s terribly reductive, but I would prefer anything rather than getting ensnared by the mental health system again. I’ll probably just forgo medical care and if these problems keep causing me pain, I’ll just find a heroin dealer, get heroin, check out. It’s too risky to interact with doctors if I could be forced back into the mental health system; for me death is a preferable option, and any medical care I get that will link me to that facility could result in involuntary care. They diagnosed me with so many things, they are all DSM “they never go away and you have to keep paying doctors forever” diagnosis, it’s just such a high risk of getting ensnared. I’ll just deal with the pain until I can’t anymore, then peace out.
Search the website of the Hospital for care everywhere and see if you can find an email contact. They need not know about your experience to assist you, so be general and succinct in requesting help in opting out of the program.
Your message will go to an IT worker, not anyone you would have interacted with clinically.
Not going to tell you not to file a complaint, but I can’t say I’m hopeful any federal agency or regulator will be of much help since they’re now busy chasing windmills like fluoride or vaccines. Perhaps a state agency could help you, but that’s definitely a mixed bag.
There is no link like that. I also do not want this place to have ANY current information on me. If you escaped the clutches of a bear attack, you don’t go back and poke the bear with a stick… or poke the IT guy working for the bear. No way, I will not interact with that place or any psychiatric/psychological mental health agency or person connected to that field ever again after how I was treated.
In that instance I suggest you email mychartsupport@epic.com and ask them if there is a way for you to opt out of care everywhere through them directly.
I am trying to do that, but they haven’t responded. I already emailed them, including emailing them a copy of the complaint I am sending the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Ideally, I could do this without actually filing a federal complaint, because with the current political environment it’s very uncertain how that information will be used. But if they don’t respond, and it’s Monday morning, I’m sending the complaint in, and then they can deal with OCR instead of me.
I suspect they will say they are required to keep health care information and aren’t allowed to delete it, leaving OCR as my only recourse.
I suspect that they “technically” did get your consent to share information. It was likely one of the first forms they had you sign. Probably before you discovered how terrible they were. Then, when you went to see the doctor, they had you sign the same form on your first appointment, and then everybody knows everything.
I’m not saying it’s right, and I really do feel for you, but I’ve signed a lot of those forms over the years.
No, I never signed any of the forms when I was initially involuntarily admitted. They said I was required to sign some forms and I refused because I thought they could have some sort of legal impact and I didn’t have a lawyer with me. Some of them were things about charging me fees.
They told me I had to, and that the forms didn’t change anything, and I still refused to sign.
I absolutely did not sign forms when I entered. It was only after I felt the threat of death that I occasionally signed things, and I did not sign anything saying they could release my information to something called MyChart.
You probably think I’m an idiot because I went to a psychiatric facility, but my IQ has tested as a 130 in a controlled setting and I generally have a very specific memory.
They also did not use electronic records when I was there, although that’s likely changed now. You’re wrong.
I absolutely did not sign forms when I entered. It was only after I felt the threat of death that I occasionally signed things, and I did not sign anything saying they could release my information to something called MyChart.
Sounds like a lawyer is in order then, as one of those forms may have given them the go ahead. Nobody but those present would necessarily know that you were signing under duress.
And MyChart is simply branding of your electronic medical record. I am not aware of any limitation on converting paper charts into EMR data either. It’s all HIPAA compliant and only those treating you are able to see this data. People lose their jobs regularly for improper EMR access.
And FWIW, I don’t think it’s especially cool to go at someone who seems to be honestly sharing their advice.
And FWIW, I don’t think it’s especially cool to go at someone who seems to be honestly sharing their advice.
It felt like gaslighting to me. Like, “Oh, well, you must be a moron and this nice hospital is right and you’re just too simple to understand the forms.” It sort of felt like the same logic I often got at that awful place, he has a rhinoplasty name, which likely means he’s a doctor.
I don’t really think it’s dishonest to call doctors vultures; they financially exploit people in vulnerable positions for exorbitant fees while the AMA makes it hard for the many people who want to become doctors to practice by limiting medical school entrances and also not allowing tiers of medical specialists to alleviate costs. Pharmacists could easily prescribe certain medications. I think doctors are often very polite vultures, but vultures none the same. They do things to limit competition when there is an extremely inelastic need for some of their services; it’s the definition of corrupt.
But I suppose he may not be a doctor, so in that sense you’re right, I shouldn’t have accused him of being one, but this didn’t feel like advice to me, but more likely a defense of other doctors and hospital workers.
I could be totally wrong however. Maybe she’s a professional golfer, randomly had a rhinoplasty, and was just offering an opinion.
Upon further reflection, you may be right: this is a very anger-inducing topic for me, but it’s not like he was the one who treated me poorly there or killed the woman i met there due to neglect, or lead to the beatings and killings that took place there. I’ll edit the post.
I don’t think a lawyer would say anything other than file a complaint with the OCR. It seems unlikely I could sue for damages. I could at best sue for emotional distress, if HIPPA violations allow for that and they probably don’t, and to do that I would need to prove emotion, which a court would say requires a mental health expert. Pass.
thanks for replying, this is an upsetting topic for me and it’s probably not you, it’s just me after everything
HIPAA allows medical care providers to share your information with each other for the purposes of providing care (whether that sharing happens through MyChart or some other means). It does not require your consent (and this could be a good thing if, for example, you were taken to a hospital while unconscious). You simply may not have a lot of options for preventing this. As NOT_RICK mentioned, you could opt out of Care Everywhere at the psychiatric hospital to prevent them from sharing your information that way. You could also try to amend their record or request that they restrict access to your records, as per https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/laws-regulations/index.html#general. All of those options would require interacting with the original psychiatric hospital, so if you’re unwilling to do that, I’m not aware that there are other options available.
This sounds correct. Thank you.
This explains why MyCare is doing this. Because technically there’s a HIPPA exception to allow them to do this, so it’s not a violation of HIPPA. I should have realized this, but didn’t.
I am not sure asking the evil hospital to restrict access to their records will work because it’s showing in MyChart as a former address but I’m not sure other places have the information. The problem is the address is associated with that psychiatric facility and may show in my chart as “Mental Health Behavior Modification Hospital,” it has a name that makes it clear what it is, and so doctors may refuse to treat me without a release of those records, leading to lots of hours billed talking about mental health instead of seeing if I have cancer. I also will refuse any mental health screenings/questionnaires, etc., and so it may result in them refusing to care for me.
Before spending all that money talking to another doctor, talk with a lawyer who knows healthcare related law. If your full time job has an employee assistance program, it may cover a consultation with a lawyer. A lawyer will be able to tell you what rights you have at a federal, state, and local level, and should know if there is a process to compel the hospital to restrict your records.
Hey, I’m a provider at a hospital who uses MyChart everyday and would like to offer perspective from the other side.
because it’s showing in MyChart as a former address but I’m not sure other places have the information. The problem is the address is associated with that psychiatric facility and may show in my chart as “Mental Health Behavior Modification Hospital,”
In Mychart I’m sure it stores previous addresses somewhere, but I have no idea where I would even find this information, and can basically guarantee no one else is going to be looking for it.
so doctors may refuse to treat me without a release of those records, leading to lots of hours billed talking about mental health instead of seeing if I have cancer.
Part of HIPPA is that we can only access information that is pertinent to your current treatment as a provider. A specialist like someone who works at a cancer clinic would have no reason to access or question you about a previous treatment in a mental health facility unless you have something like a brain tumor.
Also in MyCharts certain notes containing sensitive information like metal health treatment or sexual assault are usually automatically locked out unless additional consent is given by patients, or unless it is directly associated with the current providers treatment plan.
leading to lots of hours billed talking about mental health instead of seeing if I have cancer.
Healthcare visits are not reimbursed by time, but by visit type. It doesn’t matter if I spend 10 min or an hour with a patient. If the visit type is for a specific treatment they are reimbursed at the same rate. The affordable care act highly regulated how facilities are reimbursed for care, wether they are insured or lack coverage. And for the most part providers at hospitals have little to no control on how the hospital charges patients.
I also will refuse any mental health screenings/questionnaires, etc., and so it may result in them refusing to care for me.
I haven’t really heard of anyone refusing care because someone didn’t fill out a mental health screening. I specialize in orthopedics and rehabilitation, so that’s not exactly pertinent to my field. But we have people who refuse to fill out paperwork all the time, and i don’t really care unless it’s pertinent to my current treatment plan.
For me to refuse my services the hospital requires me to have a really good reason why, like attempting to assault me or the staff.
If someone asks you about your previous treatment at the facility and it has nothing to do with your current appointment, I would just ask them how it pertains to your current visit. If they try and make a big deal about it, I would just ask for their manager, and ask them why the provider asked about sensitive information that doesn’t have anything to do with your current treatment.
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