Who owns the physical health record?

The physical health record is owned by the healthcare provider, physician, or hospital, which is responsible for the creation and maintenance of that record. This ownership includes the legal responsibility to safeguard the information contained within the health record and ensure it is accurate, complete, and available for authorized access.

While patients have rights to access and review their health information, the physical record itself, which includes the documentation and notes created by healthcare professionals, remains the property of the entity that generated it. This relationship ensures that providers can manage and protect sensitive health information while complying with legal standards and regulations governing medical records, such as HIPAA in the United States.

Other entities listed in the options do not have ownership of the physical health record. For example, although patients have rights regarding their information, they do not own the physical documentation. Similarly, government oversight is focused on regulatory compliance and public health, while insurance companies are primarily concerned with billing and claims, rather than ownership of health records.