• Tennessee has state laws regarding medical records.Tennessee state contour against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
  
  Medical records give a comprehensive history of a person's health. In addition to federal privacy laws, the state of Tennessee has several state laws on the release of medical records. These laws state who may release these records, when it may be done and what rights a patient has to privacy.
  
  

Access

• According to Find Law, Tennessee law states that hospital records are owned by the hospital. They may be released only by a patient's written request or by court order. Under Tennessee law, patients have the right to access their medical records. Health care providers should release a copy to the patient within 10 business days of receiving the patient's written request, according to Georgetown University.
  
  

Mandatory Reporting Requirements

• Tennessee law requires patients to provide medical history records if certain conditions exist. Patients are required to provide medical history records if they have a history of communicable diseases and sexually transmitted diseases. Patients are required to furnish these records to their doctor, who must keep their records confidential. Whenever a patient sees a new doctor, the patient must provide the medical history records.
  
  

Blood Diseases

• Tennessee law states that a law enforcement officer may order an arrested person to be tested for hepatitis B or HIV if the officer is exposed to the arrested person's blood. However, the arrested person's medical records remain strictly confidential.