BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
Can I change my medical records?
Patients legally have a right to request a correction to their personal information, including their medical records (section 29 of FIPPA and section 24 of PIPA). The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) applies to public bodies, which include health authorities, hospitals, clinics, and government programs. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) applies to private organizations such as your family doctor or physiotherapist.
Importantly, individuals specifically have the right to request changes, not the right to change their personal record as they see fit. For medical records, original records cannot be changed except for factual errors such as your birth date. Typically, information like medical opinions or diagnoses cannot be changed or erased as full documentation is necessary for the benefit of the patient and healthcare professionals. If a medical opinion or diagnosis is changed in the future, both the original and updated version will typically be on record.
All requests must be made in writing to the health care provider or medical facility holding the records. If a request is made but not fulfilled, then a note on your medical record stating a request was made and what change was requested will be placed beside the information on your record.
If you are unsure which law applies or how to request a change, please ask the holder of your health information that you seek to change.
For more information about your health information, please visit BC FIPA’s Your Health Information Help pages.
Updated 2024.09. 20
These pages were last updated and reviewed in the summer of 2024.
The information on these pages only contains general information and guidance; none of the information constitutes legal advice. If you have a specific issue that you believe is a legal problem, the best practice is to consult a lawyer.
The information is non-partisan, dynamic and ever changing. It is the result of FIPA’s research and public education programs.
If you note something that needs to be added, corrected, or removed, please contact us by email: fipa AT fipa.bc.ca.
