Accessing personal records
Every jurisdiction recognises a general right of patients to access their own health records. However, record-keepers may, in some instances, be required or authorised to refuse access. A patient may be refused access to information where such access may: endanger the life or well being of a person; affect the privacy of other individuals; be prejudicial to a legal investigation or relevant to civil proceedings between the patient and record-keeper.
People notified by contact tracers are not entitled to access information about the contact’s identity, behaviour or diagnosis without that person’s consent, even if that information is in their own records. Should a patient wish to access their own record, details of the identity of any contacts contained in their record should be removed.