Introduction
GPs often receive requests from lawyers and other third parties for information on or a comprehensive record of a specific patient. As such, GPs may be obliged to disclose patient health information in certain circumstances and requested to do so in others. Providing records to facilitate resolution of legal disputes is usually in the interest of patients (unless the patient has claimed things that are untrue) and in the public interest.
Purpose
This document is a guide for general practices to advise which data elements should be extracted from a patient’s electronic medical record when responding to external requests for their record. This document is for use once the decision has been made to provide a third party a copy of (or part of) a patient’s medical record.