The medical record contains all relevant information related to your health. Its contents are protected by medical confidentiality. According to the law, “Every person has access to all information concerning their health held by healthcare professionals and institutions...” (Article L.1111-7 of the French Public Health Code).

• If you have been hospitalized

• If you have attended a consultation

• If you are currently hospitalized

You may request access to your medical record in accordance with legal regulations by submitting a written request. This request should include your date of birth, your contact details (postal address, phone number, and email), the department involved, and all necessary supporting documents.
Your request should be sent to the following address:

Direction de l’Information Médicale
CHU de Clermont-Ferrand
58 rue Montalembert
63003 CLERMONT-FERRAND CEDEX 1

An explanatory notice, including a list of required documents and a request form, is available at the bottom of the page.

Once your request has been administratively approved, you will be able to:

• either consult your medical record free of charge, on-site, at the hospital department that holds it,

• or receive copies of all or part of your medical record by post, subject to a fee and upon signed acceptance of a cost estimate.

The physician who provided care may recommend the presence of a third party when the information is communicated. In the case of minors, only those with parental authority may request access to the child’s medical record—provided that the minor has not exercised their right to keep certain treatments or procedures confidential from their parents (Article R.1111-6 of the Public Health Code). The law does not provide for minors to directly access their own medical records.

The retention period for medical records is 20 years, except in special cases. This period starts from the date of the patient's last hospital stay or outpatient consultation in the facility. Other timeframes apply in the following cases:

• If the patient dies less than 10 years after their last visit to the facility, the record is kept for 10 years from the date of death.

• Records of transfusion procedures, and if applicable, copies of transfusion incident reports, are kept for 30 years from the date of the transfusion.