Get StartedMedical records contain highly private and personal information and are considered confidential. Patients generally have the right to their own medical information and the right to control who else has access to their records. Therefore, with certain exceptions, medical information can only be released with the written authorization of the patient or the patient's authorized representative. This document can be used to provide the necessary authorization. Under rare circumstances, a health care provider may restrict the release of medical records to the patient if the release could be harmful to the patient or others.Most states recognize that the actual medical records are the property of the health care provider who compiles, stores, and maintains the information. Typically, t