The Importance of Medical Records
by Executive Director Lee Reid
If you were injured during an encounter with an Atlanta police or corrections officer that required medical attention, it is critically important that the ACRB receive your medical records from your medical provider. Your medical records related to your injuries can provide the support needed to verify the severity and extent of your injuries related to the officer’s actions. While the police supervisor will do a use of force report or the officers’ reports may indicate the action taken by the officer, your medical reports will provide the necessary information to tell the full impact of the officers’ actions.
Your medical records may support your allegation of excessive force by providing the existence and type of injury you suffered, severity of injury, and establishing the cause of the injury. Your medical records contain objective evidence of your injuries.
However, for the ACRB investigator to obtain your medical records for the investigation, you must sign a medical release form to allow the ACRB to request and receive a copy of your medical treatment associated with the officers’ actions.
Because the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prevents the sharing of medical information with authorized release, the ACRB is not able to request and receive your medical records without your signed consent.