Patient Resources
Health Information Management | Obtain Medical Records

How to Obtain Medical Records

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 before 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.

Beginning Monday, March 9, 2020, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center will destroy medical records whose retention periods have expired. These include medical records of patients who have not been seen for care within the past 30 years.

A patient or patient’s legal representative may request copies of the medical record prior to destruction.  Requests to do so must be submitted using the “Authorization for Use/Disclosure of Protected Health Information” form located below in the "Download a Form" section and received no later than Monday, February 10, 2020.

Direct your requests to:

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Health Information Management
MLC 5015
3333 Burnet Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45229

Contact Us

If you have questions or would like help from the Health Information Management Department at Cincinnati Children’s, call 513-636-4217 or 513-636-8233.


Utilize the sections below for further information, forms and instructions:

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 4.
  • 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 be forwarded to the Patient Financial Services area for completion.
  • Requests for copies of a medical record should be directed to Health Information Management. Authorization forms may be submitted in person, by mail or by fax: 513-636-6729.

To get medical records, print the form you need and mail it to: 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Health Information Management
MLC 5015
3333 Burnet Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45229

There may be times when you are not available to bring your child for medical care. You can fill out a “Permission to Authorize Consent for Treatment” form to allow another individual that you name to give legal consent for medical care and procedures. You must have this form notarized, and it expires one year from the date you sign.

Attention, Parents
If your child is 18 years of age or older, it is REQUIRED by law that he or she sign a “Authorization for Use and / or Disclosure of Protected Health Information” form allowing release of the medical record, including to release the record to you.

Requests for all information (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 assist you. Call 513-636-8233.

If you are requesting information for continuing patient care, the caregiver receiving the information usually wants only an overview of the important information. (This usually meets the need for individual use as well.)

A patient / physician abstract contains:

  • Discharge summary −   The care, treatment and services provided as well as progress toward established goals of an inpatient stay
  • Emergency record − The care, treatment and services provided for a visit to the emergency room
  • History and physical −  The present illness or care needs and notes about any important history
  • Operative report(s) −  The surgeon’s findings, technical procedures used, specimens removed and post-operative diagnosis
  • Consultation report −  The findings of a physician requested to examine a patient
  • X-ray reports, labs or other tests  
  • Clinic notes − Include the initial assessment and the most recent visit documentation

If you are an attorney and submit a subpoena for medical records and you are not the prosecuting attorney requesting records for reasons of child abuse or neglect, please also submit the Authorization for Use and/or Disclosure form signed by the patient/parent/legal guardian or a Court Order signed by a Judge or Magistrate. This will help ensure a timely response and valid record retrieval process.

Records sent to patient/parent/legal guardians or to providers for continuing patient care, are not charged. If records are being sent to another person or entity, there may be a charge. The person or entity identified to receive records will be sent a prepayment invoice once the total cost is determined.

ITEM FEE 
Paper Copies/CD per page First 10 pages $1.34/page, pages 11-50 $.69/page, 51 pages and up $.27/page (CD cost not to exceed $50 plus shipping and handling)
Radiology Images $10.00 per study
Shipping/Handling Actual cost based on US Postal Service rates (waived if picked up)
Fees are reviewed periodically. They are based on the State of Ohio ORC 3701.742 or the HIPAA HITECH ACT.

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.

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.

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