Quick Guide to Requesting Medical Records
Having access to electronic medical records (EMRs) can contribute to a fuller picture of overall health. These records may contain provider notes, test results, and vitals information. When EMRs are paired with daily observations, you can have additional insight into your health and therefore make more informed health decisions. Above all, under federal law, you have the right to access your health records.
What information can your health records contain?
Anything you have discussed with your provider including:
Social and familial history
Immunization records
Diagnoses
Procedures
Test, lab, and imaging results
Hospitalizations
Insurance and billing requests
Authorizations of medical power of attorney and organ donation
Who can request your health records?
HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act of 1996. This creates protections of your health records, and limits who can access them and how they can be received. While HIPAA is helpful in ensuring the confidentiality of your health, it can also cause confusion when enforced by providers.
According to HIPAA, you have the right to request your medical records if the records belong to you. You can also access records if you are the parent or guardian of the patient, or if you are a caregiver or advocate with written permission from the patient.
Current laws state that providers must keep adult records for seven years, and kids’ medical records until they are 18 to 21 (depending on the state).
How to access records
If your provider has a patient portal, check here first.
You can call your provider’s office to inquire about how they can give you your records. You can also ask your provider when you go on your next visit.
When you access your records, you may have to fill out a form and/or pay a small fee.