Based on the right to have access to medical records the patient is entitled to:
- being informed about their medical data management;
- being informed about their test results and medical data;
- receive a hospital discharge document on their hospital discharge;
- after outpatient care, receiving an outpatient medical record;
- the patient has the right to ask for a modification in their medical record if some data is missing or incorrect in their chart.
Additionally, patients have the right to take a look into their medical records, ask for an excerpt or a copy of them, and receive a copy (the first copy is free of charge, all other replicas are needed to be paid for based on the regulations of the medical facility),
If the patient is deceased, their legal representative, close relative and their heir (based on a written request) are entitled to get to know the cause of death, the medical treatment the patient received before death during their hospital stay and to take a look into the patient’s medical records. They are also entitled to ask for an excerpt or a copy and receive a copy (the first copy is free of charge, all other replicas are needed to be paid for based on the regulations of the medical facility).
The patient’s spouse, lineal descendants, siblings or life partner are entitled to get to know the patient’s medical records while the patient is alive or after their death, if the patient’s medical record and test results influence these individuals and descendants’ health condition and their medical care and if these medical data are otherwise not achievable.
The health act enables the medical restriction of rights to patients’ access to their medical records in case of psychiatric patients, if access to their medical records would supposedly threaten the patients’ recovery or violate privacy rights of another person. The patient representative and the patient’s legal or appointed representative must be informed about the restriction.
Access to medical records is also possible via the EESZT (National eHealth Infrastructure, in Hungarian: Elektronikus Egészségügyi Szolgáltatási Tér) in electronic form.
