How to Get Medical Records

Medical records are important for a multitude of reasons. They contain information that helps doctors diagnose illnesses and determine treatment options. In addition, they provide evidence in legal proceedings, they can be required for insurance claims, schools may need them for vaccination records, and some employers may need them to certify fitness for a job. Your health record can include:

• Medical history
• Family medical history
• Test results
• Doctors, nurses, and other clinicians’ notes about you
• General information about you, your personality, and what your doctor thinks of your interactions
• Findings from check-ups and examinations
• Prescribed medication
• Recommendations and next steps for your care

Do you want to know how to get medical records and look up your medical records? You could follow the steps below and manually log each step, ensuring you include all the correct details in each communication, and then store all this somewhere safe while waiting months to get your health information (that always works out so well, eh!). OR, you could make it much easier by using the ChartSquad platform. Sign up for free to and we'll show you how to get access to your medical records and store them all in one secure online platform that only you can access and share with people you specifically choose.

You should start by requesting access to your medical records. This will help identify what kind of information you need. You will often need to send highly sensitive information to prove identity and authority of access, such as:

• Your name
• Your Address and Telephone Number
• Your Email Address
• Social Security Number
• Date of Birth
• List the records you would like access to
• Provide the dates of service
• Declare your preferred delivery method; this could be by post, via fax, through email, or in person
• Your signature

If you do not receive an immediate response, follow up with another letter.

If you would like to request copies of your medical records, you should make sure that you can show that you have the authority to do so. In addition to that shown above, you may need to provide proof of identity (such as a driver's license) and proof of residency (like a utility bill). Once you have provided these documents, you are normally asked to sign a form authorizing the release of your medical records.

As well as sending letters, you may need to send emails to request access to your medical records. Be sure to include your name, contact information, and why you would like access to the records.

If you do not receive a response within 30 days, you should follow up with another letter requesting access to the health records. You can use a certified mail return receipt request form to make sure you get a response.

It may also be necessary to call the doctor's office directly to ask them to send you copies of your medical records. This is often done by calling the office and asking for the patient coordinator.

These steps can become complicated and take a long time for each, with people often having to follow up multiple times. Also, it's easy to forget key items that are crucial to obtain your medical records, this can cause unwanted delays. The stress involved with trying to retrieve your medical records is often combined with urgency or life events that are made more difficult to cope with when under the strain caused by uncooperative medical records administrators or companies.

So, when you ask yourself "how do I get medical records?", the answer should always be "ChartSquad!"