(A) As used in this section and section3701.741of the Revised Code:
(1) "Ambulatory care facility" means a facility that provides medical, diagnostic, or surgical treatment to patients who do not require hospitalization, including a dialysis center, ambulatory surgical facility, cardiac catheterization facility, diagnostic imaging center, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy center, home health agency, inpatient hospice, birthing center, radiation therapy center, emergency facility, and an urgent care center. "Ambulatory care facility" does not include the private office of a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or dentist, whether the office is for an individual or group practice.
(2) "Chiropractor" means an individual licensed under Chapter 4734. of the Revised Code to practice chiropractic.
(3) "Emergency facility" means a hospital emergency department or any other facility that provides emergency medical services.
(4) "Health care practitioner" means all of the following:
(a) A dentist or dental hygienist licensed under Chapter 4715. of the Revised Code;
(b) A registered nurse licensed under Chapter 4723. of the Revised Code, including an advanced practice registered nurse, or a licensed practical nurse licensed under that chapter;
(c) An optometrist licensed under Chapter 4725. of the Revised Code;
(d) A dispensing optician, spectacle dispensing optician, or spectacle-contact lens dispensing optician licensed under Chapter 4725. of the Revised Code;
(e) A pharmacist licensed under Chapter 4729. of the Revised Code;
(f) A physician;
(g) A physician assistant authorized under Chapter 4730. of the Revised Code to practice as a physician assistant;
(h) A practitioner of a limited branch of medicine issued a license or certificate under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code;
(i) A psychologist licensed under Chapter 4732. of the Revised Code;
(j) A chiropractor;
(k) A hearing aid dealer or fitter licensed under Chapter 4747. of the Revised Code;
(l) A speech-language pathologist or audiologist licensed under Chapter 4753. of the Revised Code;
(m) An occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant licensed under Chapter 4755. of the Revised Code;
(n) A physical therapist or physical therapy assistant licensed under Chapter 4755. of the Revised Code;
(o) A licensed professional clinical counselor, licensed professional counselor, social worker, independent social worker, independent marriage and family therapist, or marriage and family therapist licensed, or a social work assistant registered, under Chapter 4757. of the Revised Code;
(p) A dietitian licensed under Chapter 4759. of the Revised Code;
(q) A respiratory care professional licensed under Chapter 4761. of the Revised Code;
(r) An emergency medical technician-basic, emergency medical technician-intermediate, or emergency medical technician-paramedic certified under Chapter 4765. of the Revised Code ;
(s) A certified mental health assistant licensed under Chapter 4772. of the Revised Code.
(5) "Health care provider" means a hospital, ambulatory care facility, long-term care facility, pharmacy, emergency facility, or health care practitioner.
(6) "Hospital" has the same meaning as in section3727.01of the Revised Code.
(7) "Long-term care facility" means a nursing home, residential care facility, or home for the aging, as those terms are defined in section3721.01of the Revised Code; a residential facility licensed under section5119.34of the Revised Code that provides accommodations, supervision, and personal care services for three to sixteen unrelated adults; a nursing facility, as defined in section5165.01of the Revised Code; a skilled nursing facility, as defined in section5165.01of the Revised Code; and an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities, as defined in section5124.01of the Revised Code.
(8) "Medical record" means data in any form that pertains to a patient's medical history, diagnosis, prognosis, or medical condition and that is generated and maintained by a health care provider in the process of the patient's health care treatment.
(9) "Medical records company" means a person who stores, locates, or copies medical records for a health care provider, or is compensated for doing so by a health care provider, and charges a fee for providing medical records to a patient or patient's representative.
(10) "Patient" means either of the following:
(a) An individual who received health care treatment from a health care provider;
(b) A guardian, as defined in section1337.11of the Revised Code, of an individual described in division (A)(10)(a) of this section.
(11) "Patient's personal representative" means a minor patient's parent or other person acting in loco parentis, a court-appointed guardian, or a person with durable power of attorney for health care for a patient, the executor or administrator of the patient's estate, or the person responsible for the patient's estate if it is not to be probated. "Patient's personal representative" does not include an insurer authorized under Title XXXIX of the Revised Code to do the business of sickness and accident insurance in this state, a health insuring corporation holding a certificate of authority under Chapter 1751. of the Revised Code, or any other person not named in this division.
(12) "Pharmacy" has the same meaning as in section4729.01of the Revised Code.
(13) "Physician" means a person authorized under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code to practice medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, or podiatric medicine and surgery.
(14) "Authorized person" means a person to whom a patient has given written authorization to act on the patient's behalf regarding the patient's medical record.
(15) "Advanced practice registered nurse" has the same meaning as in section4723.01of the Revised Code.
(B) A patient, a patient's personal representative, or an authorized person who wishes to examine or obtain a copy of part or all of a medical record shall submit to the health care provider a written request signed by the patient, personal representative, or authorized person dated not more than one year before the date on which it is submitted. The request shall indicate whether the copy is to be sent to the requestor, sent to a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or chiropractor, or held for the requestor at the office of the health care provider. Within a reasonable time after receiving a request that meets the requirements of this division and includes sufficient information to identify the record requested, a health care provider that has the patient's medical records shall permit the patient to examine the record during regular business hours without charge or, on request, shall provide a copy of the record in accordance with section3701.741of the Revised Code, except that if a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, psychologist, licensed professional clinical counselor, licensed professional counselor, independent social worker, social worker, independent marriage and family therapist, marriage and family therapist, or chiropractor who has treated the patient determines for clearly stated treatment reasons that disclosure of the requested record is likely to have an adverse effect on the patient, the health care provider shall provide the record to a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, psychologist, licensed professional clinical counselor, licensed professional counselor, independent social worker, social worker, independent marriage and family therapist, marriage and family therapist, or chiropractor designated by the patient. The health care provider shall take reasonable steps to establish the identity of the person making the request to examine or obtain a copy of the patient's record.
(C) If a health care provider fails to furnish a medical record as required by division (B) of this section, the patient, personal representative, or authorized person who requested the record may bring a civil action to enforce the patient's right of access to the record.
(D)(1) This section does not apply to medical records whose release is covered by section173.20or3721.13of the Revised Code, by Chapter 1347., 5119., or 5122. of the Revised Code, by 42 C.F.R. part 2, "Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records," or by 42 C.F.R. 483.10.
(2) Nothing in this section is intended to supersede the confidentiality provisions of sections2305.24,2305.25,2305.251, and2305.252of the Revised Code.
The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated inR.C. 1.52(B)that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.
Last updated January 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM