Access to Medical Records

Medical records are the scientific documentary evidence concerning healthcare information of patients. Access to healthcare information of the patients through medical records enables medical practitioners and other appropriate healthcare professionals to decide on the patient management strategies and ensure quality patient care. Healthcare professionals are duty bound to maintain the confidentiality of the disclosures by the patients and other relevant medical information unless the patient specifically consents for its dissemination to third parties. Disclosure of the patient information otherwise is improper and illegal, except in the larger interests of the society or when required as per the laws of the land. A pertinent challenge thus, is to protect the patient records from unauthorized access. Though there is a uniform acceptance to the importance of medical records, there is disparity in its application between various nations and systems primarily owing to the differences in cultural and legal frameworks. The chapter provides a broad overview of the topic, without any specifics prevalent in a particular jurisdiction.