Who owns the medical record?

The correct understanding of medical record ownership is grounded in legal and ethical standards in healthcare management. The medical record is typically owned by the health care facility that creates and maintains it. This ownership includes the physical documents or electronic systems that house the information. While the patient has a right to access their record and control certain information about it, the health care facility retains ownership of the record itself, which is critical for ensuring that the information is preserved, protected, and available for various purposes, including treatment, billing, and legal compliance.

Ownership by the health care facility reflects the responsibility they bear in maintaining the accuracy and confidentiality of the patient’s medical information. Facilities must comply with regulatory obligations, such as those imposed by HIPAA, which governs how patient information can be shared and managed but does not imply that the government owns the records.

Additionally, it's important to understand the roles of both patients and physicians in relation to medical records. While patients have rights concerning their information, including the right to access and control certain disclosures, and physicians have a professional obligation to maintain and utilize these records for patient care, neither has ownership of the physical medical record itself.