Obtain Medical Records
Process | Forms | Tips l Fees l Payment
The information contained in a patient's medical record is confidential. It is a legal requirement that Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center receive specific authorization prior to releasing this information. Authorization may be granted by completing an 'Authorization For Use and / or Disclosure of Protected Health Information' form. These forms are available through Health Information Management.
Request Process
- Requests for X-ray, MRI, nuclear medicine or other films should be given to the Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, 513-636-4251, option 3.
- Requests for billing statement copies should be directed to Patient Financial Services at 513-636-4427, unless medical record copies are also required. In this case, the request should be directed to Health Information Management for initial processing, it will then be forwarded to the Patient Financial Services area for completion.
- Requests for copies of the medical record should be directed to Health Information Management. Authorization forms may be submitted in person, by mail or by fax: 513-636-6729. The average turnaround time for record copies is usually 7 to 14 business days.
HIPAA Requirement
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), allows health care providers 30 days to process record requests with an acceptable extension period of 30 days when required. Cincinnati Children's strives to provide records more timely; however, occasionally the full 30 days are required due to record availability (e.g., physician return, offsite storage return, etc.)
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Download a Form
To get medical records, please print the form you need and mail it to:
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
3333 Burnet Avenue
MLC 5015
Cincinnati, OH 45229
You must have Adobe Acrobat" Reader installed on your computer to read these file.
You can download Adobe Acrobat" Reader at Adobe's Web site by selecting the version appropriate for your type of computer. You can download the following forms to obtain medical records in portable document format (.pdf).
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Tips for Requesting Copies of Medical Records
Requests for all information (including progress notes, consent forms, registration sheets, etc.) can delay processing and become very costly. If you need help deciding what to request, a patient information coordinator will be happy to assist you. Please call 513-636-8233.
If you are requesting information for continuing patient care, the caregiver receiving the information usually only wants an overview of the important information. (This usually meets the need for individual use as well.)
A Patient / Physician Abstract contains:
- Discharge Summary - This document is a summary of the care, treatment and services provided as well as progress towards established goals of an inpatient stay.
- Emergency Record - This record documents the care, treatment and services provided for a visit to the emergency room.
- History & Physical - This form details the present illness or care needs and notes any important past history
- Operative Report - This report details the surgeon's findings, technical procedures used, specimens removed and post-operative diagnosis.
- Consultation Report - This report documents the findings of a physician requested to examine a patient.
- X-ray reports, labs or other tests
- Clinic Notes - Clinic notes include the initial assessment and the most recent visit documentation.
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Fee Structure for Medical Record Copies
There is a charge for medical record copies. This charge is waived for records sent directly to continuing caregivers.
| Pages | Fee |
|---|
| Basic Retrieval Fee |
$16.38 (waived for patient requests) |
| Pages 1 - 10 |
$1.11 per page |
| Pages 11 - 50 |
$0.57 per page |
| Pages 51 and up |
$0.23 per page |
| Microfilm / Microfiche / CD copies |
$1.87 per page |
| Shipping |
Actual cost (waived if records are picked up) |
| Sales tax |
Actual cost (based on requestor's state) |
Fees are reviewed on an annual basis and are based on the State of Ohio Sub. HB 331.
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Payment for Medical Record Copies
All checks must be made payable to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Payment may also be made using Visa or MasterCard by calling 513-636-4217.
Please note that copies of medical records from other facilities may not be re-released by Cincinnati Children's. They must be requested from the originating facility.
If you have questions or would like more information about the Health Information Management Department at Cincinnati Children's, please call 513-636-4217 or 513-636-8233.
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