From the WSJ Article: "It’s your health. So it’s time you took control of all the information about it.

That’s the message that a growing number of patient advocates are trying to spread to American health-care consumers.

For most people, of course, it’s all too easy to simply leave their health records in the hands of doctors and hospitals. But that’s a big mistake, the advocates argue. First, it gives doctors too much power over information that is vital to patients, and it creates opportunities for errors. Perhaps more important, it keeps patients from using the information themselves for their own benefit."

From the Office of Civil Rights YouTube page: Watch this video to learn about the HIPAA Privacy Rule, a law that protects patients' rights and health information rights. For more information please visit http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/.

Whether health information is stored on paper or electronically, patients have the right to keep it private. They also have the right to get a copy of their records, to request to make a change to those records, and to know how that information is used and shared.