Request my Health Record

The simplest way to request and receive a copy of your health records is to make a request in MyChart and navigate to the “Sharing Hub” through the top left Menu.

Note: While non-urgent requests are completed in the order they are received, The Ottawa Hospital records became electronic in November 2009. Therefore, where appropriate, limiting a request to dates after this will minimize processing time.

To request a copy of your personal health information

• Complete and sign the Request / Consent for Release / Disclosure of Patient Health Information form.
• Direct the consent to The Ottawa Hospital, date it within one year, have it witnessed by another person, list in detail, the records you are requesting and the dates pertaining to the visit,
• Provide a copy of a government-issued photo ID.

To submit your request, please contact us to receive a secure link by email to upload your completed consent form and government-issued photo ID. Once uploaded, one of our representatives will contact you at the number listed on the form to provide you with a fee estimate.

The consent must be directed to The Ottawa Hospital, dated within one year, witnessed by another person and must list in detail the records you are requesting and the dates pertaining to the visit.

Requests are processed when the required information is received in good order. Requests will only be processed with an authorization form and upon receipt of payment. Please note that typical wait times are between eight and 15 business days but can vary depending on request or volumes.

Medical Images can be accessed through PocketHealth. You can get started by visiting their website and selecting “Access My Records”. Your provincial health card number or hospital medical record number is required to sign up. 

Whether you want your records released to a relative, friend, family doctor or another institution, you must provide a completed and signed Request / Consent for Release / Disclosure of Patient Health Information form for the hospital to release your information. The consent must be dated and witnessed. It is valid for one year. 

Parental consent is required if you are under 16 years of age and not capable of consenting.

For more information, please visit the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s (IPC) website.

In order to make a correction to your record, please fill out the Request for Correction to the Health Record form, clearly outlining what you are requesting to have changed and send it to the Health Records Department for processing either in person, or by contacting us to receive a secure link.

Under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), the hospital is not required to make corrections to information that is not associated to your care or information that consists of a professional opinion or observation that a health-care provider has made in good faith about you.

Under PHIPA, if your correction request is denied, you have the right to prepare a concise Statement of Disagreement that sets out the corrections that The Ottawa Hospital has refused to make. The Ottawa Hospital will attach this Statement as part of the record.

To release the personal health information of a deceased patient, consent is required from the estate’s executor (with proof, a copy of the first page where it names the executor and the last page where the patient/deceased signed the Will). If no Will exists, a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee is required.

For more information, please contact us. 

To release health information to the substitute decision maker, a completed and signed Request / Consent for Release / Disclosure of Patient Health Information form is required, along with the power of attorney (POA) document for personal care.

A POA for personal care is only considered valid when the individual is deemed incapable of consenting. In some cases, The Health Records Department may need to contact the patient’s family doctor or request that the POA complete a capacity assessment before releasing health information.

If you are looking for your birth information (proof of birth), please complete the Request Proof of Birth or Time of Birth form.

Please note that we do not issue birth certificates. These are issued by the Government of Ontario.

There is an administrative fee for copies of your record based on the fee schedule. An administrative fee of $30 + HST shall apply to all patient requests. This includes pages one to 20.  

After the first 20 pages, any additional pages cost $0.25 per page.

Your health record may be provided to you in CD format for an additional $10 (upon request).

There is no additional fee to release your health records through secure online transfer.