For Patients
The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine offers a
brochure, Your
Medical Records: Know Your Rights.
Records Retention
Records for adult patients must be maintained for a minimum of seven
years from date of last patient encounter. If a patient is a minor on
the date of the last visit, then the physician must maintain the
pediatric patient’s records for a minimum period of either seven
years from the date of the last patient encounter or until the patient
reaches the age of eighteen, whichever is the longer retention
period.
A retiring physician or his successor must maintain patient records
for seven years from the date of the last patient encounter.
For more information, read the Board of Registration in
Medicine’s document, Medical
Records Obligations.
Locating Your Physician
If you no longer know how to reach your physician, addresses and
phone numbers for physicians currently licensed and practicing in
Massachusetts may
be found through the Board’s Physician Profile pages.
If your physician is retired or deceased, s/he may no longer have a
profile. In this case, try contacting the Board, your health plan, or
the hospital or medical practice where the physician formerly practiced.
They may have a forwarding address.
If you need legal assistance
The Massachusetts Legal Services provides information for lawyer referral
services and free legal resources in your area.
