Your hospital's medical records office

What to ask for

Every hospital has a medical records or health information department, and federal law gives you the right to a copy of your own records. Ask for the complete chart: the emergency department notes, imaging reports, nursing notes, medication administration records and consultations, not only the discharge summary.

Why the distinction matters

The discharge summary is a short narrative written at the end. The detail that shows what you actually presented with, what was ruled out and what was missed lives in the underlying notes. A claim built on the summary alone is built on someone else's abridgement.

What to expect

You will sign an authorisation, and there is usually a fee and a turnaround time. Ask for the records in electronic form if you are offered the choice, and keep your own copy.

• Your full legal name and date of birth as the hospital has them
• The dates of the visits you want covered
• Photo identification
• A written note of exactly which records you are asking for, so "complete chart" does not become "discharge summary"