The medical file: a source of conflict

Patients' right to information is strictly regulated by the French Code of Public Health that establishes the legal framework for delivering medical i nformation. The Code of Medical Deontology also contains several articles c oncerning patients' rights, medical information, and medical secret. The pa tient's right to information must not be confounded with medical file prope rty rights which is an ambiguous notion that has not yet acquired a perfect ly acceptable legal definition satisfying all concerned. Currently, the phy sician, designated by the patient, is the only person legally authorized to deliver to that patient the desired information.