Patient education
Owning your medical records: a practical guide
· JV Healthcare Advisory
Patients have a right of access in Switzerland, the EU and the UK; using it well improves care quality.
You are entitled to a copy of your medical records in Switzerland, across the EU and in the UK, normally free of charge and within a defined period.
Ask specifically for what is useful: discharge letters, imaging reports, pathology results, laboratory trends and operation notes. A complete unsorted file is less helpful than the key documents.
Store them in one place, organised by date, and keep a one-page summary at the front. The summary is what a new clinician will actually read in the first minutes.
Imaging is worth requesting on disc or via a transfer link, because reports without images limit what a second opinion can conclude.
Review the records for accuracy. Errors in medication lists and allergy fields are common and consequential, and you have the right to request correction.
This article is general education. It does not constitute individual medical advice and does not create a doctor–patient relationship. For emergencies, contact the emergency services in your current location.
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