Viewing medical records at Children’s Minnesota

If your child has a complex condition or stays at the hospital for an extended time, it can be helpful to view the medical record from time-to-time. Reviewing the medical record can help you be an equal member of your child’s care team and ensure your child’s information is complete, correct and up-to-date.

Ways you can access medical records

While you are at a Children’s Minnesota facility you can view your child’s medical record in two ways.

Nurses can show you the medical record

Children’s Minnesota medical records are primarily electronic but some information remains in paper. Please ask a nurse to help explain this information and what it means.

Or, you can get access to your child’s electronic medical record (EMR)

If your child is in the hospital for a long time, you can receive access to view your child’s electronic medical record (EMR) on the computer. To request access, visit a Health Information Management (HIM) office:

• At Children’s Minnesota Hospital – St. Paul, the HIM office is located on the first floor of the Garden View Medical Building (Suite 1052) between the Red Parking Ramp and the coffee shop
• At Children’s Minnesota Hospital – Minneapolis, the HIM office is located on the lower level of the hospital, immediately to the right of the visitor elevators (B701)

You can generally receive access within one hour. Your access will automatically end after one year. Once your access is granted, you can look at the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) in these locations:

• Computer in the patient room. You can look at the record using this computer when caregivers are not using it for patient care. Generally access to the medical record by families is not possible in the intensive care units (NICU/ICC/PICU) because caregivers need access constantly.
• Computers in HIM Offices between 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
• For paper copies of medical records, visit HIM offices 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Please note: If you have immediate questions about your child’s care, please talk to your child’s care team (physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses). They can help you understand your child’s condition, the medications given and the treatments used. Please ask your nurse if you need an interpreter.