Your medical records document your medical history and care over time. These documents include “notes” from health care professionals who have provided treatment, prescribed or administered medicine, therapy or diagnostic tests as well as the test results, x-rays, other reports and observations. Quebec law allows you to access your medical records by making a formal request. The procedure varies depending on whether the medical record you wish to obtain is from a public institution or a private clinic.
To obtain access to records from a Public Health Care Institution you must submit a signed request to the person in charge of protection of personal information at the institution. If you are unsure who to contact at a particular institution belonging to the CIUSSS DE LA CAPITALE-NATIONALE you can obtain this information from:
Me Annie Caron, Directrice des affaires juridiques et institutionnelles
Dossiers administratifs et employés
Phone: 418 266-1019 #1430
Email: responsabledelacces.ciussscn@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
A public institution is required to respond as soon as possible to your request. If your request is refused, the person in charge of personal information at that institution must provide a written request explaining why your request was refused and explain that a review of refusal can be requested. To learn more about the review of refusal process, please visit: https://www.educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/medical-records-solutions-when-access-refused
To obtain access to your medical records at a private clinic, you will need to send a written signed request to the doctor in question; by law he/she has 30 days to respond to your request. If your request for access is granted, you can consult the medical records for free. However, if you require paper copies of the records the institution or clinic can charge a reasonable fee for preparing and sending these documents to you. Once you gain access to your medical record you have the right to ask the health care institution or private clinic for help understanding what they say.
Medical records are confidential meaning that the information contained therein cannot be shared without a patient’s permission or the permission of a person allowed to make such a decision for another such as a parent, tutor or curator. For a full explanation of who can have access to medical records, please visit: https://www.educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/medical-records-who-can-have-access