[Impact of the law of the 4 March 2002 relative to patients' rights on request for medical information received in a medical dispatching center and mobile intensive care unit (Samu 93)].

Introduction: Law of the 4 March 2002 allowed patient's access to his medical record. This law could increase the number of requests in medical dispatching centers and prehospital intensive care units.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of this law on the number of requests for medical information received in our unit.

Methods: Since the promulgation of the law, from March to December 2002, medical requests were prospectively collected and classified in categories including request for transmission of medical record. Requests received before the law, from January 2000 to February 2002 were classified according to the same items. Number of requests received during the two periods were compared according to the total number of medical record managed in our medical dispatching center and prehospital intensive care unit.

Results: The total number of requests for medical information significantly increased since the law of March 2002 (results are expressed as cases per month per 10 000 record: 4.8 +/- 2.5 vs. 8.0 +/- 4.5; p = 0.04). Specific request for transmissions of medical record significantly increased since the law (1.3 +/- 1.6 vs. 3.0 +/- 3.0; P = 0.046). This increase was progressive and constant since March 2002.

Discussion: Physicians and patients should take in consideration consequences of this law. Physician should be vigilant with the quality of their medical dossiers. Interpretation of this law and its ethics consequences will probably be discussed again as one should not exclude perverse impact of this law. In effect, insurances and mutual insurances companies could find in this law a way to obtain medical information, such as circumstances of death, previously unavailable.

Conclusion: The law of 4 March 2002 relative to patients' rights significantly increased number of requests for medical information received in our dispatching center and prehospital intensive care unit.