Who Holds the Record · country brief · data as of 2026-10-01Who holds the health record in Laos?
In 2026, Laos scores 29 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record: rank 164= of 196 countries (likely range 130 to 181), in the Weak band (25 to 44). Who holds the keys: State. Source: Who Holds the Record, SuperTruth, data as of 2026-10-01.
Laos protects electronic data and patient confidentiality on paper, but patients cannot get their records and no shared health record exists.
Published · updated · data as of 2026-10-01 · research tool, not legal advice
Can I get my health records in Laos?
Access to the full record scores 25 of 100 in Laos, against a median of 43 across 196 countries. No law gives patients a right to a copy of their medical record. The 2017 Electronic Data Protection Law lets people access their own electronic data, but most records are not electronic and there is no national portal.
Can I control who sees my health record in Laos?
Control and consent scores 28 of 100 in Laos, against a median of 30 across 196 countries. The data law requires the owner's permission before personal data is used or passed on, unless another law says otherwise or a competent state body asks for it. We found no opt-out, no granular choices and no access log patients can see.
Eight rights, against Timor-Leste, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the EU
| Patient access to the full record20% | 25 | 30 · 28 · 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient control and consent20% | 28 | 28 · 30 · 25 | |
| Privacy and security15% | 35 | 30 · 35 · 35 | |
| Connected care journey15% | 26 | 28 · 28 · 35 | |
| Protection from commercial use10% | 35 | 22 · 38 · 35 | |
| Clinician access at the point of care10% | 20 | 20 · 25 · 30 | |
| Research and trial consent5% | 45 | 45 · 50 · 43 | |
| Clinical AI governance5% | 35 | 20 · 25 · 30 |
Black dot: Laos. Hollow dots: Timor-Leste, Nepal, Sri Lanka (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 196 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: Laos 29, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; read the rank with its likely range.
What would Laos need to change to score higher?
Laos sits in Weak (25 to 44); Mixed starts at 45. The two rights furthest below the 196-country median, weighted, are patient access to the full record (25, median 43) and connected care journey (26, median 38). 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.
- Connected care journey: Primary care, hospitals, labs, pharmacy, claims and public health linked to one record and used at national scale.
Which laws give health record rights in Laos?
- Law on Electronic Data Protection (No. 25/NA) (2017): Consent to use or share electronic personal data; access, correction and deletion rights; 15 million kip fine.
- Law on Health Care (amended) (2023): Patient confidentiality, duty to inform patients, record systems in every facility. In force 9 January 2024.
- Law on Public Health (2023): Ministry runs the electronic health information system; research needs ethics committee approval.
Strain and split context, not scored
- Doctors per 10,000
- 3.8 2024
- Nurses and midwives per 10,000
- 13.6 2024
- Private insurance + out-of-pocket
- 44.8% 2020
- Record reaches private care?
- unknown
Published stories
- none published in the last two years
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