Medical records

Dear Readers,

1. The medical records documenting the treatment of patients in our facilities are the property of Prof. Zbigniew Religa Lower Silesian Centre for Heart Diseases - Medinet Sp. z o.o.
2. Medinet is obliged to ensure the protection of the data in the medical records.
3. Patients have the right to access the medical records documenting their health status and the healthcare services received.
4. The hospital is obliged to make the medical records available to:
   1. the patient or their legal representative;
   2. a person authorised by the patient;
   3. the authorised bodies.
5. Following the patient’s death, their medical records are mode available to the person previously authorised by the patient or the patient’s legal representative at the moment of death. Medical records can also be made available to a close person (unless the patient previously objected to it or another close person is opposed to it). In accordance with the law, the following can be considered “a close person”: a spouse, a relative up to the second degree, e.g. children, grandchildren, siblings; a kinsman up to the second degree in a straight line, e.g. father-in-law; a legal representative; a cohabitant or a person indicated by the patient.
6. Medical records can be made available:
   • for review, including healthcare-related databases, at the site where the healthcare services are provided, except for the medical emergency activities, or at the offices of the entity providing the healthcare services; the patient or other authorised bodies or entity must be given the opportunity to take notes or pictures;
   • in the form of an extract, copy or printout;
   • by providing the original documents with a confirmation of receipt and subject to return after use on the request of the public authorities or courts, and in a situation when a delay in providing the records might pose a threat to patient’s life or health;
   • through electronic communication tools;
   • on an electronic data carrier.

The entity providing the healthcare services may collect a fee for making the medical records available, depending on the form of sharing chosen by the patient. The maximum fees have been determined in the Act on Patient Rights and Patient Ombudsman of 6 November 2008, and they are linked to the average salary announced by the President of the Chief Statistical Office. Free access to the medical records for the first time is provided following the request of the patient or their legal representative or a person authorised by the patient. However, it does not apply to the first instance of making the records available by a given entity, but to the scope in which they are shared. It means that the patient may receive their medical records for free from the same entity a few times if they request the part that has not been made available to them before. Next time the same documents are shared (even in a different form), the entity may collect the applicable fee.

Medical records are made available upon a request submitted in any of the following forms: in writing, through electronic communication tools or orally. Medinet introduced a useful form to request sharing of the medical records, available in the “Forms to download” tab or below on this page “Download request”.

Download request