Electronic health record (EHR) audit trails are system logs that record when and by whom a medical record is accessed or altered, and patient access is key to detecting record falsification in order to ensure accountability, safety, and lawful care.

 

In 2025, I experienced medical harm wherein non‑consensual medical procedures were performed without discussion or forewarning. My medical record was subsequently altered to add symptoms I never complained of that served as justification for the procedures that followed. 

When I requested transparency and correction, I was met with partial disclosures, denials, or no response at all.

 

The refusal to provide access to EHR audit trails became central to preventing independent review of what occurred during my visit. These system logs exist to enable detection of post‑encounter modification and ensure record integrity, yet patients are routinely denied access to them.

 

The events described here illustrate structural gaps in oversight that allow the following conditions to persist:

Medical procedures performed without informed consent

Documentation altered after patient harm

Audit trails withheld despite their role in ensuring accuracy

As an emerging healthcare provider, I understand that informed consent, accurate documentation, and transparency are foundational to ethical and lawful practice. A system that allows harm to be concealed through inaccessible records undermines patient safety and public trust.

As such, I am calling for the following safeguards:

1. Guaranteed patient access to complete EHR audit trails upon request, including timestamps, user identification, and metadata.

2. Patient notification when records are altered after an encounter, with documented justification.

3. Enforcement of existing consent and assault statutes in healthcare settings, without requiring catastrophic injury or death as a threshold for review.

These measures align with the purpose of medical documentation, and the ethical obligations of healthcare professionals. Audit trails should not function as internal tools only; they are part of the medical record and should be treated as such.

Please sign and share this petition to support patient access to audit trails and to affirm that transparency is a prerequisite for safety in healthcare.