Medical Records Request: The Letter That Works

Records Request: orthopaedic clinic + imaging center — purpose: second opinion (shoulder surgery)

The Letter

[Your name, date of birth, address, phone] · [Date]
To: Medical Records, [Orthopaedic clinic name and address]
Re: Request for copies of my medical records — patient [name], DOB [date]

I request copies of the following records from [date 8 months ago] to the present: (1) all consultation and progress notes from Dr [name]; (2) the surgical recommendation and any operative plan; (3) physical examination findings and range-of-motion measurements; (4) any orders, referrals, and prior authorisation correspondence; (5) the radiology reports in my chart.
Format and delivery: electronic copies (PDF) sent by secure email to [email] or via your patient portal's document-release function; if paper is the only option, please mail to the address above.
I understand I have a right of access to my records; please advise if any fee applies and provide the fee schedule before processing if it exceeds a nominal copying charge. I would appreciate the records within the timeframe your policy and applicable rules provide, and by [date, ~3 weeks out] if possible, as they are needed for a scheduled second-opinion consultation.
[Signature] · [Date]

[Same header] To: Medical Records, [Imaging center]
Re: Request for imaging and reports — patient [name], DOB [date]
I request (1) the complete DICOM image files for my shoulder MRI dated [date] and X-rays dated [date], on disc or via secure image-sharing link, and (2) the radiologist's written reports for each study. Please do not send only the reports; the images themselves are required for a second-opinion review.

What You're Asking For, Decoded

The Follow-Up Ladder

Day 0: submit through the official records intake (form or portal), keep confirmation · Day ~10: polite status call; note the name and date · Day ~20: written reminder citing the request date and elapsed time, asking for a completion date · Beyond the locally applicable window (verify it; in the US there is a federal outer limit with a possible extension): escalate to the records custodian's supervisor or practice manager, then to the privacy officer, then to the regulator's complaint route.

The Health File

Once received: one folder per provider, files named by date and type · a one-page running summary (diagnoses, procedures, medications, allergies, key imaging dates) · a "for the next new doctor" packet: summary page, latest imaging reports, medication list. This request becomes the last big one.

Access rights, timelines, and fee caps are jurisdiction-specific and change — verify the local specifics before citing exact numbers; this skill's letters cite rights generically for exactly that reason.