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Getting your medical records and images in Sweden
A second opinion is only a second opinion if the specialist reads what the first one read. This page covers how to obtain your notes, your imaging reports and the images themselves in Sweden — the step that most often delays everything else, and the one worth starting before you have decided anything.
Quick answer
You have access to your own medical records in Sweden, and most regions publish notes digitally through 1177 once you log in with an e-identification. Imaging files and older notes usually have to be requested directly from the provider that produced them — ask explicitly for the image files, not only the written report, and ask whether they can transfer them directly to a named receiving clinic. Notes through 1177 are immediate; a written request involving images can take days to weeks, which is why this step should start first.
What to request, in order
- Clinical notes for the relevant episode — start in 1177, then request directly for anything missing.
- Imaging reports, with the date of each examination.
- The image files themselves, which are stored separately from the reports and are not automatically included.
- Test results referred to in the recommendation you were given.
- The operation plan or referral, if one exists.
Naming these individually works better than asking for "my records", which is frequently read as the notes alone.
Where the material goes
Directly to the care provider who takes on your case. Not to Andrabedomning.se — we do not receive records, images or test results at any point, and a request describing your situation in your own words is all that reaches us. Where a direct transfer between providers is possible, it is usually faster and less error-prone than you forwarding files yourself.
How Andrabedomning.se fits in
Andrabedomning.se is an independent Swedish patient guidance service. You describe your situation in a request — in English — and a person reads it and replies, normally within one working day, with information about relevant specialist contact. If we cannot help, you get an explanation of why and where to turn instead. We do not diagnose or provide medical care. Records go directly to the care provider, never to us.
Sending a request is free and commits you to nothing. If we can coordinate a suitable specialist contact, two amounts are disclosed to you in writing before anything is booked: our coordination fee (samordningsavgift), which is our only source of revenue, and the specialist's fee, which is set by the care provider and paid directly to them. We take no commissions or referral fees from specialists or clinics. How it works in full →
Andrabedomning.se coordinates the contact. The medical assessment is made by the specialist and care provider you choose.
Frequently asked questions about medical records in Sweden
Can I read my own medical records in Sweden?
Yes. Patients have access to their own records, and most regions make notes available digitally through 1177 after logging in with an e-identification. Not everything appears there — older notes, notes from private providers outside the regional system, and imaging files usually have to be requested directly from the provider that produced them.
How do I get the actual images, not just the report?
Request them from the provider that performed the examination, and say explicitly that you want the image files and not only the written report. Images live in the regional imaging archive and can normally be released to you or transferred directly to another provider. Ask which format they supply and whether they can send them to a named receiving clinic — a direct transfer is usually faster and avoids a step.
Can they refuse to give me my records?
Access can be restricted in narrow circumstances, but a refusal is a decision that must be motivated and can be challenged. In practice, outright refusal is rare; delay is common. If a request stalls, ask for the name of the person handling it and a date, which tends to move things more reliably than repeating the request.
How long does it take?
It varies by provider and by whether images are involved. Notes through 1177 are immediate. A written request for images and older records can take days to weeks. This is the step that most often delays a second opinion, which is why it is worth starting before you have decided where to go — the material is useful on every route.
What should I ask for, specifically?
The clinical notes for the relevant episode; the written imaging reports with their dates; the image files themselves; any test results referred to in the recommendation; and the operation plan or referral if one exists. Naming these individually gets better results than asking for "my records", which is often interpreted narrowly.
The records are in Swedish. Is that a problem?
For a Swedish specialist reading them, no. For you, it can be — and machine translation handles clinical terminology poorly and confidently. If understanding what is in your own file matters to you, ask the provider to go through it with you; chapter 3, sections 6 and 7 of the Patient Act require information to be adapted to your linguistic background and the provider to make sure you have understood.
Sources
- 1177 — Din journal — patients' access to their own medical records and how records are read digitally through 1177.
- Patient Act (patientlagen 2014:821), chapter 3, sections 6–7 — the duty to adapt information to the patient's linguistic background and to check that it was understood.
- 1177 — Remiss och egen vårdbegäran — what a care request should contain when sent directly to a specialist clinic.
Editorially produced by Andrabedomning.se from the primary sources above. Sources last checked: 4 August 2026.
Related pages
- Second opinion in Sweden — the main guide
Why the material matters on every route.
- Unsure about an MRI result
What the report says versus what it means.
- Referrals and self-written care requests
What to put in a request once you have the material.
- Language and interpreters
What you can ask for when the file is in a language you do not read.
Have your material together?
Describe your situation in a few sentences and tell us which assessment or recommendation you have already received. Sending a request is free. If we can coordinate a suitable specialist contact, our coordination fee and the specialist's separate fee are disclosed in writing before you decide whether to book.
In an emergency, call 112. For non-urgent medical advice, call 1177.