Informing the patient about his/her health status

Verified 09 January 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Wondering if you have a right as a patient to get information about your health? Yes, but access to information varies depending on whether you are an adult or a minor. This information can be given before, during, and after care. You can ask to be kept in the dark about a diagnosis or prognosis, unless your surroundings are at risk of transmission. We're giving you the regulations to know.

Information before care

Above all care, the healthcare professional should provide you with certain information that may relate to:

  • The investigations, treatments or preventive actions that are offered to you
  • Their utility
  • Their possible urgency
  • Their consequences
  • Frequent or severe risks normally foreseeable
  • Other possible solutions
  • And the foreseeable consequences in case of refusal.

If your health allows it, you are also informed of the possibility of receiving treatment in form ambulatory at home.

Your desire to benefit from one of these forms of care is taken into account.

Information during care

At the time of taking charge, you are informed by the professional that he has the appropriate diplomas to carry out his activity.

This information may also be provided by:

  • Health facilities
  • Health services
  • Or any other legal person, other than the State, carrying out prevention, diagnosis or care activities.

These professionals or individuals also inform you of the fulfillment of their obligation to insure against any civil or administrative liability.

Please note

During any hospitalization in a health care facility, you can designate a trusted person. This person may be a parent, relative, or attending physician. This designation shall be made in writing and co-signed by the designated person. It shall be valid without limitation of time. However, you and the person you trust can predict a duration. The designation is reviewable and revocable at any time.

Information after care

The right to be informed about your health does not end after investigations, treatments or preventive actions have been carried out.

If new risks have arisen, you should be informed, unless it is impossible to find yourself (for example, the side effects of a drug that was prescribed more or less a long time ago have been discovered).

In addition, you can ask to consult your medical record.

Warning  

Only theurgency or impossibility may exempt the trader from that obligation.

The applicants vary according to your situation:

General case

You have access to all information about your health held, in any capacity, by professionals and health care institutions.

Minor

This right to information is exercised by the holder(s) of parental authority (e.g. parents, guardian).

FYI  

The minor also has the right to receive information in a manner appropriate to his or her degree of maturity.

Guardianship major

The information relating to the state of health is delivered to the person under guardianship in a manner appropriate to his ability to understand.

It is also issued to the guardian.

Major under Trusteeship

The health-related information shall be provided to the person under guardianship in a manner appropriate to his or her ability to understand.

It is also issued to the curator with the explicit agreement of the protected adult.

You have access to all information about your health held, in any capacity, by professionals and health care institutions.

You can consult your health information on the spot (in the health facility or the practitioner's office). The consultation is free of charge.

This may be formal information or written exchanges between healthcare professionals:

  • Examination results, records of consultation, intervention, exploration or hospitalization
  • Protocols and therapeutic prescriptions implemented 
  • Surveillance sheets 
  • Correspondence between healthcare professionals.

This information should be provided during a personal interview.

Reminder

Only theurgency or impossibility may exempt the trader from that obligation.

Yes. If you wish, you may be kept in the dark about a diagnosis or prognosis, except when third parties (for example, your child or spouse ) are at risk of transmission.

In case of dispute, it is up to the healthcare professional or the healthcare establishment to provide proof that the information on your health status has been provided to you.

Such proof may be furnished by any means.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • Health Info Rights

    A telephone line created by a collective of user associations to provide legal or social information related to health

    By telephone

    01 53 62 40 30

    Price of a local call

    Open Service:

    • Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2pm to 6pm
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2pm to 8pm.

    By Form

    You can also ask your question by completing the contact form ;

    From this form, you can request to be called back.

    The response time by email is 15 days.

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