Where is FOIA when I need it?

RandiDeeAnn

The only hospital reasonably close to me that allows VBAC does not have their c/s rates or vbac rates publicly available. What the heck? I had to call three different people and was still told that they'd have to check with someone and get back to me, if they could tell me at all! Shouldn't this be covered by the Freedom of Information Act?

Also, not that it should be public knowledge, but I just paid $7.50 on my pregnancy records and did not get the surgical records. So now I am on a list for getting the surgical record, but that will not include the entire hospital stay. I know that this is the way the world works, but it is my info. I feel like I should be allowed to have it for free. Just like credit scores.  P.S. my c/s was not for failure to progress. It was classified as 2 day failed induction.

Vent over./

iris427

I don't know if that would qualify under FOIA because I'm pretty clueless about that aspect of the law.  What state do you live in?  The Unnecesarean has stats for individual hospitals for some states--that's actually how I found my local hospital's rate (38% ugh).  Some state health departments also have the info.

Luv4Minnesota

I can totally relate.  When I got pregnant I called the 2 major clinics in our area and asked for the VBAC and C/S rates of the doctors who practiced there.  I was transferred a dozen times and finally gave up because there was no one I could get a hold of who could answer my question.  One idiot even told me "they didn't keep those records."  Are you kidding me?  Of course you keep those records! 

I ended up calling the labor and delivery units of the hospitals in town a few times and talking to different nurses about who they saw as VBAC friendly and who to avoid that was C/S happy.  The few that I talked to were glad to help and give info on the doctors.  Maybe that can help?

jen5-03

You need the operative report from the hospital. Record of the surgery is kept by them. You can order all your records of your hospital stay if there's something you want to know. Foia doesnt say you get the records free, a reasonable fee for them is allowed and it's often $25 so 7.50 sounds like a bargain. Most docs will send medical records to another doc for free if you wanted all pg records.

RandiDeeAnn

jen5/03:

You need the operative report from the hospital. Record of the surgery is kept by them. You can order all your records of your hospital stay if there's something you want to know. Foia doesnt say you get the records free, a reasonable fee for them is allowed and it's often $25 so 7.50 sounds like a bargain. Most docs will send medical records to another doc for free if you wanted all pg records.

The part about having to pay for the records wasn't saying FOIA should cover it. I was just complaining and commenting that it was stupid for anyone to have to pay for their own records. Wanting the information from a new hospital about VBAC and C/S rates is what I felt should be public knowledge.