Who Holds the Record · country brief · data as of 2026-10-01Who holds the health record in Iceland?
In 2026, Iceland scores 62 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record: rank 16= of 65 countries, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: Shared. Source: Who Holds the Record, SuperTruth, data as of 2026-10-01.
Iceland's records are linked across nearly all public care and patients can block sharing, but the Heilsuvera portal shows only part of the record.
Published · updated · data as of 2026-10-01 · research tool, not legal advice
Can I get my health records in Iceland?
Access to the full record scores 62 of 100 in Iceland, against a median of 62 across 65 countries. The Medical Records Act gives a right to a copy of the whole record, clarified by a 2025 amendment. Heilsuvera shows prescriptions, vaccinations and dates of hospital and clinic visits, but not clinical notes or lab results.
Can I control who sees my health record in Iceland?
Control and consent scores 55 of 100 in Iceland, against a median of 52 across 65 countries. Patients can ban sharing through linked record systems, for a whole provider, a department or a named party, and have a legal right to learn who looked at their record. Bans need a signed form, and the access log comes on request only.
Eight rights, against Latvia, Slovenia, Belgium and the EU
| Patient access to the full record20% | 62 | 64 · 66 · 68 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient control and consent20% | 55 | 62 · 60 · 72 | |
| Privacy and security15% | 62 | 58 · 62 · 54 | |
| Connected care journey15% | 76 | 70 · 66 · 68 | |
| Protection from commercial use10% | 58 | 55 · 60 · 54 | |
| Clinician access at the point of care10% | 74 | 66 · 68 · 62 | |
| Research and trial consent5% | 50 | 50 · 45 · 49 | |
| Clinical AI governance5% | 50 | 50 · 50 · 50 |
Black dot: Iceland. Hollow dots: Latvia, Slovenia, Belgium (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 65 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: Iceland 62, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; gaps of 4 or less are ties.
What would Iceland need to change to score higher?
Iceland sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. The two rights furthest below the 65-country median, weighted, are patient access to the full record (62, median 62) and clinical AI governance (50, median 50). The published rubric reads:
- Patient access to the full record: A national portal showing at least part of the record (summary, prescriptions, labs) to most residents puts access at 60 to 75; a near-full record with export, long history and majority use, 76 to 90.
- Clinical AI governance: Device regulation of clinical AI with change control and human oversight in force, plus national rules where EU law leaves gaps.
Which laws give health record rights in Iceland?
- Medical Records Act (lög um sjúkraskrár) no. 55/2009 (2009): Right to a copy, who-accessed information, bans on linked sharing, research storage ban, penalties.
- Act no. 81/2025 amending the Medical Records Act (2025): Clarifies right to copies, sets copy fees and appeals, requires digital records by 1 December 2026.
- Act no. 34/2025 on health registries and quality registries (2025): Sets Directorate of Health registries and quality registries; de-identified data for research and planning.
Strain and split context, not scored
- Doctors per 10,000
- 45.8 2024 · OECD 8 of 38
- Nurses and midwives per 10,000
- 161 2024 · OECD 2 of 38
- Private insurance + out-of-pocket
- unknown
- Record reaches private care?
- partial
"Some private providers still keep non-digital records until a December 2026 deadline."
Published stories
- 2026-05-12 · Persónuvernd (Icelandic Data Protection Authority) Specialist doctor's repeated look-ups in a patient's record ruled unlawful
- 2025-11-17 · Persónuvernd (Icelandic Data Protection Authority) National hospital sent a patient's health data to the wrong primary care clinic
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