The latest articles on DEV Community by Triangle Health (@trianglehealth). https://dev.to/trianglehealth https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4180051%2F2bdf409a-d082-4cdc-b644-f156474e3b81.png https://dev.to/trianglehealth en Triangle Health Mon, 12 Oct 2026 19:19:43 +0000 https://dev.to/trianglehealth/your-patient-portal-isnt-your-medical-record-what-hipaa-access-actually-covers-4aia https://dev.to/trianglehealth/your-patient-portal-isnt-your-medical-record-what-hipaa-access-actually-covers-4aia <p>If you build or use health software, a common misunderstanding is that the patient portal is the record. It's a view. Under HIPAA, patients generally have a right to access protected health information in a provider's or plan's <em>designated record set</em>, which can include much more than the portal screen shows.<br> Key takeaways:</p> <ul> <li>Portals (MedlinePlus: visits, results, billing, prescriptions, messaging) show what that system chooses to post.</li> <li>Outside consult notes, scanned documents and imaging often don't appear.</li> <li>If the information is kept electronically, patients can generally get an electronic copy in the form they request when it's readily producible.</li> <li>Covered entities must act within 30 calendar days. One 30-day extension is allowed with a written reason.</li> <li>Different portals at different doctors are why records end up scattered. Full explainer with HHS/OCR/ONC sources: <a href="https://www.trianglehealth.com/answers/patient-portal-vs-full-medical-record" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.trianglehealth.com/answers/patient-portal-vs-full-medical-record</a> </li> </ul> healthtech hipaa interoperability