A man's prostate gland usually starts to enlarge after he reaches 40 years of age. This condition is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The prostate gland secretes a fluid that helps to nourish sperm. The gland itself surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the tip of the penis (see multimedia file 1). As the prostate grows larger, it may press on the urethra. This narrowing of the urethra can cause some men with prostate enlargement to have trouble with urination. Prostate enlargement may be the most common health problem in men older than 60 years of age.
The Patient's Bill of Rights was created to try to reach 3 major goals: 1) To help patients feel more confident in the US health care system, the Bill of Rights: Assures that the health care system is fair and it works to meet patients' needs. Gives patients a way to address any problems they may have.
The patient's legal interest in the records generally means that the patient has a right to see the records and is entitled to a complete copy of them. The patient's rights are subject to reasonable limitations such as requiring inspection and copying to be done on the doctor's premises during working hours.