Who typically owns a medical record created by a hospital?

The ownership of a medical record created by a hospital typically resides with the hospital itself. This is based on the principle that while patients have rights to access their medical information and have control over its use, the physical medical record, which involves not only the information but also the systems and processes used to create and maintain it, is owned by the entity that created it, in this case, the hospital.

The hospital is responsible for the complete and accurate maintenance of the medical record, ensuring that it complies with legal and regulatory requirements related to health information. This includes safeguarding the record's confidentiality and integrity, as well as ensuring that it is available for clinical decisions, billing, and legal purposes.

Patients retain rights concerning their medical information, such as the right to access or request amendments, but these rights do not equate to ownership of the actual records. Other entities like insurance companies and individual physicians may have vested interests in the information contained within a medical record, but they do not hold ownership of the record itself.