Who Holds the Record · country brief · data as of 2026-10-02Who holds the health record in Spain?
In 2026, Spain scores 61 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record: rank 21= of 65 countries, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: Shared. Source: Who Holds the Record, SuperTruth, data as of 2026-10-02.
Spaniards can read key reports from any region and hide them from other doctors, but the national record is summaries, not the chart.
Published · updated · data as of 2026-10-02 · research tool, not legal advice
Can I get my health records in Spain?
Access to the full record scores 66 of 100 in Spain, against a median of 62 across 65 countries. Ley 41/2002 gives a free right to the clinical record, and the national HCDSNS shows up to nine report types from any region. Spain scored 88.3 on the EU record-access indicator (Digital Decade 2025, 2024 data; EU 82.7), but what each region publishes varies.
Can I control who sees my health record in Spain?
Control and consent scores 64 of 100 in Spain, against a median of 52 across 65 countries. Patients can hide individual reports from other doctors in HCDSNS and see every access, with a form to complain about unjustified ones. Choice covers only the shared national layer; inside each region clinicians treating the patient read the record by law.
Eight rights, against Liechtenstein, Croatia, Iceland and the EU
| Patient access to the full record20% | 66 | 64 · 62 · 62 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient control and consent20% | 64 | 74 · 66 · 55 | |
| Privacy and security15% | 56 | 62 · 52 · 62 | |
| Connected care journey15% | 64 | 54 · 68 · 76 | |
| Protection from commercial use10% | 60 | 54 · 56 · 58 | |
| Clinician access at the point of care10% | 60 | 63 · 64 · 74 | |
| Research and trial consent5% | 50 | 42 · 45 · 50 | |
| Clinical AI governance5% | 50 | 50 · 50 · 50 |
Black dot: Spain. Hollow dots: Liechtenstein, Croatia, Iceland (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 65 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: Spain 61, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; gaps of 4 or less are ties.
What would Spain need to change to score higher?
Spain sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. The two rights furthest below the 65-country median, weighted, are clinical AI governance (50, median 50) and research and trial consent (50, median 49). The published rubric reads:
- Clinical AI governance: Device regulation of clinical AI with change control and human oversight in force, plus national rules where EU law leaves gaps.
- Research and trial consent: A general opt-out that is honoured, or dynamic or opt-in consent, with a public register of research uses: 55 to 85.
Which laws give health record rights in Spain?
- Ley 41/2002, básica reguladora de la autonomía del paciente (2002): Right to access and copy the clinical record; limits record use to care; anonymity for secondary uses.
- Ley Orgánica 3/2018 (LOPDGDD) (2018): Applies GDPR; pseudonymised research rules; re-identification offence; no fines for public bodies.
- Real Decreto-ley 5/2023 (derecho al olvido oncológico) (2023): Life insurers may not consider cancer five years after treatment ends; bars health-condition discrimination.
Strain and split context, not scored
- Doctors per 10,000
- 44.3 2023 · OECD 12 of 38
- Nurses and midwives per 10,000
- 62.2 2023 · OECD 28 of 38
- Private insurance + out-of-pocket
- 26.4% 2023 · OECD 12 of 35
- Record reaches private care?
- partial
"La Comunidad de Madrid y Galicia son las únicas regiones que comparten datos entre las dos redes sanitarias"
Published stories
- 2026-04-20 · Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD), PS-00560-2025 (EXP202503617) Clinic charged a patient 30 euros for a first copy of her record
- 2026-07-07 · Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD), PD-00068-2026 (EXP202518019) Employer's health service ignored a request for a medical record for three years
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