Request for a copy of medical records

Published byDocMuse

A patient is entitled to a copy of the records of their own treatment: discharge summaries, test results, imaging, outpatient notes. You need it for a second opinion, when changing doctor, for an insurance claim, or before a medical board. State the period and the kind of documents, because a general request is usually met with a single discharge summary.

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Common questions

Am I entitled to a copy of my own file?

Yes. A patient has the right of access to the medical records of their own treatment and to a copy of them. The provider may ask for the cost of copying to be covered.

Can I request documents for another person?

Only as their legal representative, as the parent of a child, or on an express authority. That is why the request has a field for the capacity you are filing in — without it the application comes back even where the documents concern a close relative.

What do I ask for if I do not know what the documents are called?

Describe the period, the ward and the treating doctor. The search is done on those, and a generally worded request is usually met with a single discharge summary instead of the whole file.

Can I get the imaging as well?

Yes, usually on a disc or electronically. Ask for it expressly, because on a general request imaging is often left out — it is stored separately from the paper records.