By Florida Law, medical records must be retained for a minimum of eight years. Most records are retained longer.
Records are released upon completion and after the patient is discharged.
Request a copy from the appropriate medical records office. Forms are also available in each of the walk-in offices. Your request must include the following:
We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. Most record requests are fulfilled within 7 business days.
We will be glad to release the records to you through the MyUFHealth portal, email, CD or on paper.
Yes, we can provide records to you via a secure website in PDF format. For this option, you must complete an Authorization for Use or Disclosure of Protected Health Information and provide a valid and legible email address. You may be charged a fee for these records. You may also view portions of your record through myufhealth which offers patients personalized and secure online access to portions of their medical records at no cost to you. For more information and to sign up, please go to ufhealth.org/myufhealth.
Under Florida law, you may be charged a fee of up to $1 per page for each page copied. You can save money by asking for specific documents or a record abstract (all recent major reports) rather than the entire record. The copying fee is waived for copies provided directly to a healthcare provider for continuing medical care.
The information found in medical records is confidential. Patients confide in their physicians because they are assured of this confidentiality and might not share the necessary personal information if this privilege did not exist. Healthcare workers are mandated by law and by professional standards to protect patient confidentiality. There are also state and federal laws to protect information related to specific diagnoses such as psychiatric/psychological, treatment of substance abuse (drugs and alcohol), and AIDS/HIV.
You should report this to the privacy officer appointed by your healthcare provider.
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your medical record. We will not use or share your information, other than as described in our Joint Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), unless you tell us we can, and you may change your mind at any time.
Your record is the physical property of the hospital. However, the patient controls the release of the information contained in the record. Consent to access medical records must be less than one year old. In general, you must give permission for anyone, other than a member of your healthcare team, to have access to your medical record. By law, your records may be disclosed without your permission under certain circumstances such as in response to a subpoena or court order, to certain government and regulatory bodies, to someone who holds your power of attorney, to someone you have designated as your healthcare surrogate, to another healthcare provider for continued care, and to your healthcare insurer to obtain reimbursement for your care.
By law, only the adult (age 18 or older) patient or a legally designated representative has the authority to release the information contained in a medical record about them, regardless of who is paying the bills. Legally designated representatives include court-appointed guardians or others with power of attorney for the patient. For children under age 18, only a parent or court appointed guardian may authorize release of medical information. Unless parental rights have been severed by the court, both parents in a divorce may access their children's medical records.
The next of kin or personal representative of the estate may request those records. It may be necessary to verify that the patient has actually died and the identity of the next of kin.
Valid authorizations are good until revoked or they expire. It is important to note that once a release request has been fulfilled and additional records are requested, a new release form must be completed.
Computer-based medical records are as safe as paper records and are covered by the same laws. There are technical safeguards for the protection of computerized data as well as procedures for identifying and punishing violators.
Another healthcare provider (for example, a physician, nurse practitioner, or physical therapist), who is treating you can request copies of your health information at any time. It may be necessary to verify that this provider is currently treating you. The healthcare provider should submit a request in writing.