How to get your health data in any country

Having full access to your medical records is not just convenient - it’s your legal right as a patient. 

Livv Health allows you to securely store and organize all types of medical documents. You can access this data at any time and share it with healthcare professionals worldwide. 

Generally, people’s medical notes and health data are scattered across multiple different sources. Examples of such sources include but are not limited to: 

• Hospitals

• Physiotherapy clinics

• Orthopedic clinics

• Dental clinics

• Rehabilitation centers

• Psychiatry clinics

• EHR systems (Epic, Cerner, etc)

• Wearable devices (Apple Health, Garmin Connect, etc)

• Government systems (e.g., HelseNorge)

• Biobanks

• Health insurance portals

Rights to health data ownership

You have the right to own and maintain a comprehensive overview of your health. In the EU and the US, data protection and health privacy laws guarantee your right to obtain copies of your complete health records from any doctor, clinic, hospital, or healthcare provider. This includes everything from test results and doctor notes to billing statements and insurance claims.  

How to request your health data

We have included some country specific guidelines on how to retrieve your health records from the following countries:

• United Kingdom

• Norway

• Spain

• Poland

You can also retrieve your health data from other countries. Although the exact process varies from country to country, the general process is as follows:

1. Locate the hospital or clinic where your data is stored and find the contact details

2. Create a written request to the healthcare provider with info about the document(s) you wish to retrieve. Here’s a template email you can use (please adapt the bolded text to your situation):

Template request form for medical records

Dear [Healthcare Provider’s Name/Office],

I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Full Name], and I am writing to request access to my health data maintained by your facility. Below are the details necessary to locate my records:

• Full Name: [Your Full Name]

• Date of Birth: [Your Date of Birth]

• Address: [Your Current Address]

• Phone Number: [Your Contact Number]

• Email Address: [Your Email Address]

• Patient ID or Medical Record Number (if applicable): [Your Patient ID/MRN]

I am specifically requesting copies of the following information:

1. Complete medical history and records

2. Lab test results

3. Imaging and radiology reports

4. Surgical reports

5. Prescriptions and medication records

6. Consultation notes

Please let me know if there are any forms or additional information required to process this request. Additionally, I would appreciate it if you could inform me of any associated fees for obtaining these records.

If possible, I would prefer to receive the records in [specify preferred format, e.g., electronic copies via email or a secure online portal, or physical copies by mail].

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

Best regards,

[Your Full Name]
[Your Contact Information]
[Your Email Address]

——————

In some cases you can call directly, fill out an online portal, or request a form in-person.

Don’t accept being denied access to your medical records. Providers can only refuse under extremely rare circumstances. If you encounter any difficulties, please reach out to our team for assistance.