[Angelique89]

I'm writing a fictional novel, and my character's need to steal their medical records. The problem is I don't understand a thing about how hospitals operate. I need to know things like...
1. Where the medical records room is usually located?
2. What kind of security does the medical records room have?
3. What's usually around the medical records room?
4. Where the morgue is located?
5. How the morgue is run, and who is there, and when?
6. what kind of security does the morgue have, during the day, and at night?
7. How are bodies handled when they first arrive?
8. Where would a patients blood be sent for testing?

And anything else that would be helpful for me to know.

I know there are a lot of questions, but if anyone can answer any of them I would really appreicate it.

And if anyone is willing to take the time to answer more detailed questions on the subject, I would be really thankful.

Thanks.

[Wondergirl]

It probably varies from hospital to hospital. Medical records could all be digitized or might still be on paper and in filing cabinets. The location of the hospital, how rural it is, how big it is--all make a difference. Depending on your novel (all novels are fiction, btw) and the setting, you might have to make up stuff to suit your plot. When I needed casket-opening information for one of my short stories, I called the local funeral home and talked to the owner. You may want to call a few real hospitals that would fit into your story to find out the answers to your questions.

[Angelique89]

Thanks for that. So if I were going to call someone, does anybody know who I would call. Who would be willing, and have authorization to answer some of my questions

[Fr_Chuck]

1. Where the medical records room is usually located?
Normally near the main offices, most are on computer beyond paper, backed up and stored off site in cause there is a disaster. And often older paper records are stored in some off site secure storage.

2. What kind of security does the medical records room have?
Most larger city hospitals have roaming security guards, the rooms will be behind locked doors in locked file cabinets

3. What's usually around the medical records room?
Admin offices

4. Where the morgue is located?
At the county morgue or city morgue, the hospital may have a storage for short term storage of the dead but would be transferred to funeral home or morgue when needed

5. How the morgue is run, and who is there, and when?
Normally operated by some state or city organization

6. what kind of security does the morgue have, during the day, and at night? Normally armed security, you can not enter secure areas without being checked in with proper ID.

7. How are bodies handled when they first arrive?
Identified and properly marked

8. Where would a patients blood be sent for testing?
In most cases they will have their own inhouse lab, for some tests they will be placed in a container box where they are picked up daily

[Wondergirl]

Thanks for that. So if i were going to call someone, does anybody know who i would call. Who would be willing, and have authorization to answer some of my questions

I thought I answered that. Okay, if your novel takes place in a small-town hospital, call a small-town hospital. If your story takes place in a large city, call a large hospital. Start with the Information Desk clerk who will probably refer you to an office clerk or to a nurses' station. Briefly tell your project and ask questions. Otherwise, call or visit your doctor and ask your questions.

The morgue can be in the basement or in a separate wing or even in a separate building. Security is locked doors or even electronically locked doors that need passwords or passkeys. Like I had said, there are many variations, depending on the size of the hospital, the rules that have been set up, etc. There is no one way to answer any of your questions.

[Angelique89]

Thanks a lot guys, this really helped.:)

[Mapleleafpete]

Mmmmm,so8unds like your going to do a break in at a morgue and steal a body,lol.. kidding, good luck with the book.. its fictional make stuff up,lol.