Question about the HLC and medical records

by OrphanCrow 5 Replies latest watchtower medical

• 

  OrphanCrow

  The HLC was established after I left the JWs. Here in Canada, the HLC was piloted back in the early 70s and that is when I had a personal encounter with the men in white shirts and shiny black shoes who took away my right to make medical decisions.

  I am not very familiar with the internal doings of the HLC, other than that they hold the JW patient's life in their hands.

  When the Hospital Liaison Committee becomes involved in a JW patient's health care, what type of information is sent to the Watchtower headquarters, and does the Watchtower Society receive copies of the patient's medical records? If so, does the Society maintain a database/library of historical medical cases that the HLC has been involved in? 

  
  

  Thank you.
• 

  wannaexit

    Hello OrphanCrow:

  I believe that there have been some changes to the HLC and a new body is in place. I would suggest that you contact the association of jehovah's witnesses for the reform on blood at  www.ajwrb.org

  Email  [email protected]

  Also Marvin Shilmer would be a great resource. You can contact him via PM from this forum .

  Hope this helps
  
• 

  OrphanCrow

  Thank you for your response, Wannaexit.

  I have sent an inquiry and await a reply.

  Frankly, I am rather surprised that no one knows if the Watchtower Society receives copies of medical records via the HLC, considering that this forum has members who have been/are involved in the process. 

  I have been out since the early 70s but, if I was still 'in', I would want to know who has access to my medical records and if the Society has those records on file.

  Considering the Society's propensity for keeping statistics and number crunching, it would surprise me if the WTS headquarters didn't keep medical records on their members who have been involved in noblood treatment..
• 

  Odrade

  This is a very good question, because under ordinary circumstances HIPAA, which is a federal protection, would not allow WT access to your health information unless directly authorized. However, if a JW allows access for the HLC, it may be one of those grey areas (like talking to a medical professional who is submitting for insurance reimbursement, which automatically authorizes disclosure of diagnosis and procedures.) So it seems quite likely that allowing the HLC in as a "counselor" would allow sharing of information within their "network," and by extension, WTS. 
  
  However, I don't believe the HLC has ever been given the actual medical records, but more like they were present as a more authorized chaplain, able to sit in on (with patient permission) on consultations and directly advise family members on decisions to be made. 
  
  Remember that HLC pre-dates HIPAA, so who knows what the situation was prior to '96. FWIW, I don't remember my father ever storing any kind of medical records during the early days of HLC.
• 

  wallsofjericho

  They will ask you to make copies of your records

  theyll inform you that they have to provide these to you if you ask to see them and then to provide these to the HLC

  they asked me too but I just ignored it and they stopped asking

  thry kept asking me to introduce them to the dr's but I persisted that I wanted them at "arms length"

  this was the phrase they used  

  any response good or bad from any Dr was recorded  they took  notes on every word I said
  
• 

  AnnOMaly

  There was a version of the 'no blood' card some years ago that had a clause permitting the HLC to access your medical records!

  (Somebody posted a scan on this forum but imageshack have blocked a view of it other than a piddling little thumbnail on Google images.)