By law, patients have the right to access their health record information.

Patients and their legal representative can request copies of information in their records as allowed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, also known as the Patient Privacy Act).

Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs. Title II of HIPAA, known as the Administrative Simplification provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers. This is intended to help people keep their information private, though in practice it is normal for providers and health insurance plans to require the waiver of HIPAA right as a condition of service.

The Administrative Simplification provisions also address the security and privacy of health data. The standards are meant to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's health care system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in the U.S. health care system.

Any patient or their legal representative can download and fill out a request form via our convenient link provided below, or in person at our "Release of Information" office. We're located on Level 2 (2nd Floor) in DGMC's Patient Service Center in the area commonly referred to as "The Patient Mall." The Release of Information station is right next to Referral Management, Admissions & Dispositions, and TRICARE via the South or "Palm Tree" side of DGMC.

Authorization for Disclosure of Medical or Dental Information (.pdf form, requires Adobe Reader)