Accessing your Health Records

Health records are securely stored and managed in accordance with Ontario law, including the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA).

The Health Information Management department at St. Joseph's is responsible for the secure storage, protection, and retention of your hospital health record.

You can request a copy of your hospital health record by submitting a written request to the Health Information Management department.

Once you have completed the written request form and included a copy of your identification, you can mail it to:

c/o Health Information Management 
St. Joseph's Health Care London 
PO BOX 5777, STN B 
London, ON  N6A 4V2

You can also submit the form by email to Health Information Management. Please note that third-party requests cannot be accepted by email.

St. Joseph's Health Care London Health Information Management

Parkwood Institute Health Information Management

This personal information is being collected under the authority of the Public Hospitals Act R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER P.40 for the purpose of contacting the sender in response to an inquiry. If you have questions about the collection of this information, please contact Privacy and Freedom of Information, St. Joseph's Health Care London, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON,519-646-6100 ext. 65591. 

Yes. You have the right to review your health record. To arrange access, submit a written request to the Health Information Management department at the hospital where you received care.

Can I request a copy of someone else's health record?

You can request a copy of another person's health record if you have their written consent.

If you are legally authorized to act on their behalf, you may also make a request as a Power of Attorney (POA) for Personal Care or as a Substitute Decision Maker (SDM). An SDM may include a guardian, attorney for personal care, spouse or partner, parent, child, sibling, or another relative, depending on their legal authority.

If there is a conflict, the capable patient's decision takes priority. 

If you are requesting a copy of a deceased person’s health record, you must submit a written request along with proof that you have legal authority to act on their behalf.

You must provide one of the following:

A copy of the deceased person’s will naming you as executor, or

If there is no will, a notarized letter from a lawyer confirming your legal authority 

Yes. Third parties can request a copy of your hospital health record be released (i.e. a lawyer, insurance company, or any other specified third party), by submitting a written request via mail with prepayment cheque to the Health Information Management department.

Can my health record be shared with other health care providers? 
Your health record may be shared with health care providers outside the hospital when needed to support your ongoing care.

Your attending physician may also share reports or summaries of your treatment with other health care providers involved in your care to ensure safe and coordinated treatment, including information about medications and treatments that may affect your care. 

There is an administrative fee for viewing or obtaining a copy of your health record.

Fees are:

Patients and Substitute Decision Makers (personal copies): $30 + HST per request (includes up to 20 pages), plus $0.25 + HST per additional page

Lawyers and insurance companies: $30 + HST per request (includes up to 20 pages), plus $0.25 + HST per additional page. Pre-payment is required for third-party requests before the request can be processed.

Electronic records sent through Secure File Transfer are charged the administrative fee only. Hard copy records sent electronically are charged the base fee plus $0.25 per additional scanned page.