TITLE 37 MENTAL HEALTH

Section 7. Hospitalization and Treatment of Alcoholics, Drug Dependent Individuals, and Drug Abusers, 37-7-1 through 37-7-168.

ARTICLE 6 RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF PATIENTS, THEIR REPRESENTATIVES, AND OTHERS GENERALLY

37-7-167. Right of patient to examine his records and to request correction of inaccuracies; promulgation of rules and regulations; judicial supervision of files and records relating to proceedings under this chapter.

1. Except as provided in subsection (b) of Code Section 37-7-162, every patient shall have the right to examine all medical records kept in the patient's name by the department or the facility where the patient was hospitalized or treated.
2. Every patient shall have the right to request that any inaccurate information found in his medical record be corrected.
3. The board shall promulgate reasonable rules and regulations to implement subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section. Nothing contained in this Code section shall be construed to require the deletion of information by the department nor constrain the department from destroying patient records after a reasonable passage of time.
4. Notwithstanding paragraphs (7) and (8) of Code Section 15-9-37, all files and records of a court in a proceeding under this chapter shall remain sealed and shall be open to inspection only upon order of the court issued after notice to the patient and subject to the provisions of Code Section 37-7-166 pertaining to the medical portions of the record, provided that the court may refer to such files and records in any subsequent proceeding under this chapter concerning the same patient, on condition that the files and records of such subsequent proceeding will then be sealed in accordance with this subsection. The court may permit authorized representatives of recognized organizations compiling statistics for proper purposes to inspect and make abstracts from official records, but without personal identifying information and under whatever conditions upon their use and distribution that the court may deem proper; and the court may punish by contempt any violations of those conditions. Otherwise, inspection of the sealed files and records may be permitted only by an order of the court upon petition by the person who is the subject of the records and only by those persons named in the order.

(Code 1933, § 88-402.13, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 1856, § 1.)