According to researchers from Yale, as well as prominent ePatient activists Hugo Campos, Marilyn Mann and ePatient Dave:
Hospitals frequently do not follow HIPAA access to records requirements.
The patient community has known this for years, nice to see evidence is catching up.
This is quite a criticism towards HHS Office of Civil Rights, which enforces the rule. Having said that, it is another open secret that the office is under-funded and under-resourced on these enforcement activities.
There is also a right for State Attorneys General to pursue this. I hope they do.
-FT