Plain-language guides

Clear, practical help for navigating your own care.

Guides written in plain language — for patients and families doing the real work of managing complex care. They are useful whether or not you ever use AuVentures.

Glossary

Words you'll meet — explained simply.

Healthcare and technology both come with a lot of jargon. Here are plain definitions of terms you may run into on this site, in your own records, or in conversations about your care.

Electronic Health Record (EHR)

The digital system a clinic or hospital uses to store your medical information. Different providers often use different EHRs that do not easily share information with each other.

Patient portal

A website or app from your provider where you can see some of your health information, message your care team, and often download records or test results.

Longitudinal

Looking at information across time rather than at a single moment. A longitudinal view of your health shows how results and patterns change over months or years.

Neurodevelopmental

Relating to how the brain develops and works. Autism and ADHD are examples of neurodevelopmental differences.

Autoimmune

A type of condition in which the body’s immune system acts against its own tissues. These conditions are often complex and span multiple body systems.

De-identified data

Information that has had the personal details removed — name, contact information, and other identifiers — so it can no longer be traced back to a specific person.

Protected Health Information (PHI)

Health information that is tied to an identifiable person. In the United States, PHI is protected by a law called HIPAA.

HIPAA

A United States law that sets rules for how health information is protected and shared. Among other things, it gives patients the right to get a copy of their own records.

Large Language Model (LLM)

A type of AI system trained to understand and generate language. AuVentures uses an LLM for one specific job — interpretation — within a larger, governed system.

Guide 01

How to get your medical records.

Before anyone — you, a new clinician, or a tool like AuVentures — can see the full picture of your health, you need your records in hand. This is the practical first step, and it is more within your control than most people realize.

Your right, in plain terms

In the United States, the law called HIPAA gives you the right to get a copy of your own medical records. Your providers are required to give them to you. They cannot refuse simply because a bill is unpaid, and if your records are stored electronically, you can ask for an electronic copy.

Who actually holds your records

Your records are not all in one place — and knowing who holds what is half the work. Your doctors and hospitals hold their visit notes and treatment history. But labs and imaging centers also hold your results directly. If you had blood work done or an MRI taken, the lab or imaging center has its own copy you can request from them — you do not have to go only through the ordering doctor.

How to request them, step by step

Check the patient portal first

Many providers, labs, and imaging centers let you download records or results directly from their online patient portal. This is often the fastest route, though portals rarely contain your complete history.

Ask for the "medical records" or "health information" department

For a complete copy, contact the provider’s medical records department directly. Larger systems have a dedicated office for this; smaller practices may handle it at the front desk.

Put your request in writing, and be specific

Most providers have a records request form. Ask for a complete copy of your records in electronic format, and specify the date range if you want everything. Being specific avoids receiving only a partial summary.

Request from labs and imaging centers separately

Contact each lab and imaging center where you had testing done, and request your results directly from them. This is how you fill the gaps your doctors’ records may not include.

What to expect — timeframes and fees

Knowing the rules ahead of time makes it easier to push back when a request stalls.

Timing. Under HIPAA, a provider generally must respond to your request within 30 days. They may extend this once by another 30 days if they tell you why. Many providers are much faster, especially through a portal — but 30 days is the outer limit they are held to.

Fees. A provider may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copying your records — but it must be reasonable, and it cannot be used as a barrier. If you access records yourself through a patient portal, that is typically free. Some states set their own limits on what can be charged.

Format. If your records are kept electronically and you ask for an electronic copy, the provider generally must provide one in the form you request, if it is readily producible that way.

When it gets difficult. Providers do not always make this easy — requests can be slow, routed to the wrong place, or returned as incomplete summaries. Persistence is reasonable and appropriate. If you believe your right of access is being denied, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights accepts complaints about HIPAA access violations.

This guide describes general patient rights in the United States under HIPAA and is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Rules can vary by state, and some specific situations have exceptions. For your own circumstances, your provider’s medical records department or your state health department can give you specific guidance.

More guides

Available now

How to get your medical records

Your right to your records, who holds them, and how to request them — above.

Coming soon

How to prepare for an appointment

Organizing what you want to cover, and bringing your own observations into the visit.

Coming soon

Keeping your records organized

Simple ways to hold a complete, usable history once you have gathered it.

Coming soon

What to ask when AI is involved in your care

Plain questions you have every right to ask, and what good answers sound like.

Have a question these guides don’t answer? Reach us at patients@auventureshealth.org.