Medical Records Checklist Before Leaving a Hospital in China

Quick Answer

Before leaving a hospital in China, ask how to obtain the official medical records, imaging, prescriptions, itemized fee list, and medical charge receipt that you may need for follow-up care or insurance reimbursement.

China's national medical-record rules support a patient's right to request copies of specified records through the medical institution's formal process. The hospital checks and stamps the copies, and it may charge a copying fee. Exact application channels, identity requirements, completion times, translation options, and electronic formats vary by hospital.

Start the request before departure when possible. If pathology or another report is still pending, confirm how and when the completed material can be collected, mailed, or accessed through the hospital's official system.

The Departure Checklist

Use this list as a planning prompt, not as a guarantee that every item will be available immediately or in English.

Clinical records

• Outpatient notes or inpatient record copies relevant to the visit.
• Admission and discharge records for an inpatient stay.
• Operation and anesthesia records, if applicable.
• Pathology reports.
• Laboratory and other test reports.
• Imaging reports.
• Original imaging files or media, if available.
• Current prescriptions and medication directions.
• Written next-step or rehabilitation instructions provided by the hospital.

Billing and reimbursement records

• Itemized fee list.
• Official medical charge receipt or electronic receipt.
• Proof of payment.
• Deposit and refund records, if relevant.
• Insurance or guarantee-letter documents handled by the hospital.
• A stamped claim form, if your insurer requires one and the hospital can provide it.

Administrative details

• The medical-record office or official online request channel.
• Identity and authorization documents required for the request.
• Copying, mailing, translation, or media fees.
• The expected completion date.
• A contact for missing or corrected documents.
• The secure method for later delivery.

What the National Rules Support

The National Health Commission's medical-record management provisions identify records that patients or their authorized agents may request to copy. The listed materials include outpatient and inpatient records, admission and discharge records, operation and anesthesia records, pathology reports, laboratory reports, and imaging materials.

The medical institution verifies the copied material and applies its confirmation mark. Hospitals may charge a copying cost fee. Privacy protections apply to both paper and electronic records.

These rules establish a baseline right and process. They do not promise same-day completion, a particular language, a DICOM export, overseas mailing, or a single nationwide app.

Ask for Imaging in a Usable Format

An imaging report and the underlying image files serve different planning purposes. A later healthcare provider may ask for both.

Ask the hospital:

• Can you provide the radiology report?
• Can you provide the original image set on disc, secure download, or another official medium?
• Is the image set available in DICOM format?
• Does the hospital require a separate imaging-department request?
• When will the final report be available?

Peking University International Hospital's telemedicine service asks patients to prepare imaging reports and original DICOM files for remote review. That is a hospital-specific workflow, but it is a useful reason to ask about both the report and the image data before leaving.

Do not upload medical images to a public form or an informal shared link. Use the hospital's or receiving provider's approved transfer method.

If Pathology or Another Report Is Pending

Some records are not final on the day of discharge. Peking Union Medical College Hospital's record-copying guidance notes that pathology timing can affect when a complete copy request should be made.

Before departure, confirm:

1. Which report is still pending.
2. The expected finalization date.
3. Whether the hospital will notify you.
4. Whether a partial record set can be issued first.
5. How the remaining report can be requested later.
6. Whether an authorized agent can collect it.
7. Whether secure electronic or postal delivery is available.

Do not assume that a missing report will automatically appear in an app accessible from outside China.

Itemized Charges and Official Receipts

Medical records and billing records are separate. If reimbursement matters, collect both.

National Health Commission pricing rules require medical institutions to maintain fee-list systems and provide printed fee lists when patients need them. A useful itemized list should identify services, medicines, or consumables and show the relevant unit price, quantity, and amount.

Hospitals may issue an electronic official receipt rather than paper. Peking Union Medical College Hospital, for example, publishes an electronic medical charge receipt workflow through its official WeChat account, app, and self-service printers, and states that the electronic receipt has the same legal effect as paper for reimbursement.

Ask your insurer before the visit which receipt, itemization, diagnosis document, translation, and proof of payment it requires. For the wider payment workflow, read Medical Costs in China: Insurance and Self-Pay for Foreigners.

Who Can Request Copies?

The patient can request records through the hospital's process. An authorized agent may also be able to apply, but the hospital can require:

• The patient's valid identity document.
• The agent's valid identity document.
• Written authorization.
• Additional relationship or legal documents in specific situations.

Requirements vary, so ask for the hospital's current checklist before sending someone on your behalf. Do not share passport scans or authorization documents through an unverified contact.

Ask About Translation Separately

The right to request a copy does not automatically mean the hospital will issue an English translation.

Ask:

• Which documents are available bilingually?
• Can the hospital issue an English discharge summary or medical certificate?
• Does it provide an official translation service?
• Will your home provider or insurer require a certified translation?
• Should medication names be listed by generic name?

Keep the original Chinese record even when you obtain a translation. Your receiving provider may need to compare the translation with the source document.

A Short Request You Can Send

Please confirm how I can request copies of my medical records before departure. I may need the discharge record, relevant outpatient or inpatient notes, pathology and laboratory reports, imaging reports and original image files, prescriptions, itemized fee list, and official medical charge receipt. Please tell me which items are available now, which are pending, the identity documents required, any fee, the expected completion date, and the secure collection or delivery method.

Send the request only through an official hospital channel.

Before You Leave the Hospital

1. Check that your name and passport details are correct.
2. Confirm that you received the final rather than a preliminary report where relevant.
3. Open any disc or secure download instructions before departure if the hospital permits.
4. Keep original receipts and stamped copies safely.
5. Photograph administrative collection instructions, not private records, as a backup reminder.
6. Save the official contact for corrections or missing documents.
7. Ask what information your next healthcare provider may need for follow-up.

For the next stage, use Follow-Up Care After Returning Home From China.

Official Sources and Review Notes

Medvoyal last reviewed this guide on July 30, 2026. National rules support record and fee-document access, but hospital procedures and digital systems vary.

• National Health Commission: Medical Record Management Provisions (2013 Edition)
• National Health Commission: Regulation on Prevention and Handling of Medical Disputes
• National Health Commission: Internal Rules on Price Conduct in Medical Institutions
• Peking Union Medical College Hospital: Fee Settlement List Management
• Peking Union Medical College Hospital: Electronic Medical Charge Receipts
• Peking Union Medical College Hospital: Medical Record Copying Guidance
• Peking University International Hospital: Telemedicine Preparation

Community discussions may help Medvoyal identify questions, but they are not used as factual evidence for this guide. Read how Medvoyal handles community sources.

Related China Planning Guides

• International Department vs Regular Outpatient Care in China — Choose the access route and confirm language, payment, and insurance support.
• How to Register and Book a Doctor in China — Prepare your passport and booking workflow.
• Follow-Up Care After Returning Home From China — Organize the records into a continuity-of-care packet.

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Disclaimer: This guide provides general logistical information, not medical, legal, or insurance advice. Document availability, format, timing, fees, and translation services vary. Confirm current requirements directly with the hospital, insurer, and healthcare professionals involved in your care.