Patient rights in Georgia: what you can ask for and how
Under the Law on Patient Rights, you are entitled to full and understandable information about your diagnosis and treatment, to copies of your own medical records, to confidentiality of your data and to decide for yourself whether to agree to a medical intervention. In practice these rights work when the request is in writing, goes to the right addressee and has a registration number. Requests and complaints are drafted by partner lawyers of Advocat.Ge, while we send them, monitor the deadlines and translate the documents received where needed.
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A letter that gets a replyciting the law, with a specific request and a deadline
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Advocat.Ge lawyersassessment of the right and a complaint if the clinic refuses
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For the patient and the familythe rights of relatives, parents and legal representatives too
In short: what a patient is entitled to
- Information. The doctor must explain in plain language the diagnosis, the treatment options, their risks, the expected outcome and the cost.
- Copies of records. Getting a copy of your medical record is a right, not a favour from the clinic; submit the request in writing with a registration number.
- Confidentiality. Your diagnosis is disclosed to a third party, including your employer, only with your consent or in cases expressly provided for by law.
- Consent and refusal. An adult with legal capacity may also refuse an intervention; consent to surgery and other interventions defined by law is given in writing.
- Second opinion. You can ask for another doctor's consultation or change clinic, and take the documents you need with you.
- Complaint. If you are refused, the matter moves from the clinic's management to the regulatory body, the Public Defender (Ombudsman) or the court.
Each right in practice: what it means and how to request it
The text of the law is general, while the clinic's reception desk asks you a specific question. The table helps you know exactly what you are asking for and what to do if the answer is no.
| Right | What it means in practice | How to request it | If you are refused |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information on your state of health | Diagnosis, prognosis, treatment alternatives, risks and costs, in terms you understand | In person with the doctor; if the answer does not satisfy you, in writing to the head of department | A written request to the clinic's management, then a complaint to the regulatory body |
| Copies of medical records | Discharge summary, Form 100, imaging reports and, where needed, the full medical file | A written application with a registration number, a list of documents and the format you want them in | A repeat request signed by a lawyer, then a complaint |
| Confidentiality | The diagnosis and treatment details are not released without your consent | State in writing who may and may not be given information | A claim to the clinic, a complaint to the State Audit Office |
| Informed consent | Before an intervention you must know what is being done, why, with what risk and what alternatives exist | Sign the consent form only after reading it and asking questions; ask for a copy | Refuse to sign until you have had an explanation; a breach is grounds for a dispute |
| Refusing treatment | An adult with legal capacity can refuse an intervention or stop treatment | The doctor explains the consequences, and you record the refusal in writing | If you are under pressure, contact the clinic's management or the Public Defender |
| Second opinion and changing clinic | A consultation with another doctor and continuing treatment at another facility | Request copies of documents and imaging records, including the images in digital form | Withholding documents is a separate breach and can be challenged in writing |
The table is a general guide. The law also sets exceptions to individual rights, for example in an emergency when the patient cannot make a decision. Which rule applies in a particular case is determined by the lawyer on the facts of your case.
How do you request copies of medical records in writing?
Asking for a copy is the most common and simplest legal step, but an oral request at reception often ends with "come back later". A written request obliges the clinic to reply within the statutory deadline.
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List exactly what you need
"Everything" is a vague request. Give the dates of the hospital stay or visit, the department and the types of document: discharge summary, operation report, laboratory test results, imaging reports and images.
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State who is asking and on what basis
The patient asks in their own name. A relative or another person obtains the document with the patient's written consent or a power of attorney, a parent for a minor, and a legal representative on the basis of the relevant decision. A copy of the supporting document is attached to the letter.
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Choose how to receive it
On paper, with the clinic's stamp, or electronically, through a secure channel. If the document is going abroad, the stamp and signature matter, because this copy will be the basis for the later translation and certification.
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Register it and keep the number
The letter is registered at the clinic's office or sent to its official email address. The registration number and date are what you will later use to prove that the clinic missed the deadline.
Who decides on the patient's behalf, and what rights does the family have?
Being a family member does not automatically mean a right to receive information or decide on treatment. Everything depends on whether the patient can make decisions themselves.
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An adult able to make decisions
They make all decisions themselves. A relative receives information only when the patient consents to it; it is best for that consent to be recorded in writing in the medical file.
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A patient who cannot express their will
When the patient is unconscious or cannot make decisions, consent is given by a close relative or a legal representative in the order set by law. In an emergency the doctor acts to save life.
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A minor patient
A parent or another legal representative decides, though the doctor takes the teenager's view into account. On some matters, from a certain age, the law gives the teenager their own consent and confidentiality.
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Recipient of support
For an adult to whom a court has appointed a supporter, the supporter's authority is limited to the area defined in the decision. How such a decision is obtained is explained on the guardianship and support page.
If a family member is abroad and needs a representative in Georgia to obtain documents or handle practical matters, a power of attorney can also be executed remotely, and a power of attorney issued by a foreign notary needs an apostille or consular legalisation and a translation in Georgia. Note that a power of attorney does not transfer the personal right to consent to treatment; it covers obtaining documents, payment and representation.
What should you do if the clinic does not respect your rights?
Most problems are resolved at the first or second step. The complaint ladder is sequential: each next step stands on the document from the previous one.
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A written request to the clinic's management
After an oral refusal, the same request is sent to the management in writing, citing the law and setting a reply deadline. This is often enough, because the management knows its obligations better than the reception desk.
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A complaint to the regulatory body
If the clinic does not reply or refuses without grounds, a complaint is sent to the state body that regulates medical activity, with copies of your request and the clinic's reply.
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Specialised bodies
A complaint about unlawful disclosure of health data goes to the State Audit Office, while for systemic breaches of rights you can turn to the Public Defender (Ombudsman).
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Court
If the breach of a right has caused harm, or a refusal could not be overcome any other way, the lawyer represents you in court.
When the matter already concerns compensation for harm, a medical error or a billing dispute, it moves from a rights request into a separate process; that route is described on the medical disputes page. If the court has ruled in your favour and the decision has to be presented to a foreign clinic, insurer or agency, you will need a translation of court documents with precise equivalence of legal terms.
What we prepare for you
Our aim is for the right not to stay on paper but to become a concrete result: a copy received, a diagnosis explained, data protected.
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Request letters
Requests for copies of records, information, a confidentiality arrangement or a copy of the consent form, citing the relevant articles of the law.
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Complaints and representation
An Advocat.Ge lawyer drafts the complaint and, under a power of attorney, deals with the clinic and the authorities on your behalf.
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Arranging a second opinion
We collect and translate the documents so that another doctor, in Georgia or abroad, sees the full case. How a foreign specialist is chosen is described on the page on finding a clinic and a doctor.
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Family consultation
We establish who has the right to receive information and make decisions, and what document they need to prove it at the clinic.
A single request letter and a multi-stage complaint are different amounts of work, so we quote the price after reviewing the case and before you order. If the matter concerns funding for treatment, see the funding and legal consultation overview.
Frequently asked questions about patient rights
Can a clinic refuse to give me a copy of my medical record?
A patient has the right to receive a copy of their own medical records, and the clinic must provide it within the statutory deadline. The most common reason for a refusal is a formality: the request was made orally, it came from another person without the proper authority, or it was unclear which documents you need. So submit the request in writing, with a list of the documents and a registration number. If you are still refused or the reply is late, the lawyer prepares a repeat request and then a complaint.
Did the doctor have the right to tell a family member my diagnosis?
As a rule, the diagnosis of an adult patient with legal capacity is disclosed to a family member only with the patient's consent. Being a relative does not in itself give a right to the information. The exceptions are situations where the patient cannot make decisions and a relative acts on their behalf, or cases expressly provided for by law. If you believe your information was disclosed without permission, record the facts promptly: who told whom, when and what. On that basis the lawyer will assess whether a claim against the clinic or a complaint to the data protection authority is worthwhile.
Can I refuse treatment, and what happens next?
An adult with legal capacity has the right to refuse treatment or its continuation, even when the doctor disagrees with that decision. The doctor must explain clearly the possible consequences of refusing and the alternatives, and you normally record the refusal in writing. That record protects both sides. A refusal does not mean the clinic will stop providing other services: you can change your mind, ask for a second opinion or consider another treatment option. In an emergency, when the patient cannot express their will, different rules apply.
How do I get a second opinion at another clinic or abroad?
What matters most for a second opinion is complete documentation: the discharge summary, imaging reports and, often forgotten, the images themselves in digital form and histological material, if there is any. You obtain this material from the first clinic by written request. For a second opinion in Georgia you simply present the records to another doctor. Abroad they need translating, and some clinics also require a specific digital image format. We collect the package, translate it and arrange the consultation, so all you are left to do is formulate your questions.
What rights does a teenage patient have?
Decisions on a minor's treatment are normally made by a parent or another legal representative, but that does not mean the teenager's view does not count. The doctor must explain the condition to the teenager in a way suited to their age and take their position into account. On some matters, from a certain age, the law gives a teenager the right to consent on their own behalf or to confidentiality of information, including towards their parents. Which matters and from what age depends on the specific service, and the lawyer will clarify this during the consultation.
Who decides if the patient is unconscious?
In an emergency, when life is at risk and there is no time to wait, the doctor acts to save the patient. For planned matters, if the patient cannot express their will, consent is given by a close relative in the order set by law, or by a legal representative if one has been appointed. If the patient expressed their will in advance, for example a written refusal of a specific intervention, it is taken into account. When the family disagrees, the lawyer will tell you whose word is decisive and how this should be reflected in the clinic's records.
Related to patient rights
- Medical disputes and complaints When a breach of rights has caused harm: claim, expert examination, mediation and court.
- Power of attorney remotely A family member abroad can appoint a representative to obtain documents.
- Form 100 translation The medical certificate you received, for a foreign clinic or insurer, with notarisation.
You have the right. We will help you use it
Tell us what you asked for and what you were told. We will tell you how to word the letter and who to send it to, so that you receive a reply within the statutory deadline.