The access log shows who has accessed your patient record. You can view a log on Helsenorge for records available there, or request it from the treatment centre. An unfamiliar name alone does not mean access was unlawful.
Which log should you open?
Start by identifying which record or service the access concerns. Hospital records and shared health information through kjernejournal have different logs.
Helsenorge is the public digital portal for healthcare services. The Pasientjournal service displays selected documents from some treatment centres. Kjernejournal is a summary care record of important health information that healthcare professionals can use across services.
To investigate who worked in your hospital record, open Pasientjournal. To check use of shared health information, find the log for that service. Do not treat an empty log in one service as proof that nobody has read anything about you.
As of 3 October 2026, your GP's own record is not displayed in the Pasientjournal service on Helsenorge. Contact the GP's office about access there. Helsenorge's description of Pasientjournal explains which treatment centres and documents the service covers.
If the problem concerns an error in the text itself, that is a different request. The guide to correcting patient records explains how to request a correction. The access log does not change medical information.
How to find the access log
Log in to Helsenorge, open the correct record and select the access log. The information displayed depends on the service and treatment centre.
Pasientjournal requires consent level Basis+ or higher. Basis+ is a level defining which Helsenorge services you consent to use. If the service does not open, check your consent in settings or ask Helsenorge for guidance.
Review the entries as follows:
- Select the record from the hospital or treatment centre you want to investigate.
- Open the log and find the relevant period.
- Record the date, name or unit and other information displayed.
- Compare the date with appointments and other contact you had.
- Ask the treatment centre to explain entries you still do not understand.
You have a right to information about who accessed your record and who received disclosed information. You can request a printout of the access log, including when you cannot find everything digitally. Helsenorge links to digital and paper forms for several hospital regions.
You do not need to download the entire record to ask about one entry. Instead, request a log for a specific period if that makes the case clearer.
Does an unfamiliar name mean unlawful access?
No. Healthcare professionals may have legitimate tasks before, during and after an appointment, even if you did not meet them personally.
A doctor may prepare for the appointment, other staff may contribute to treatment, and someone may complete the documentation afterwards. What matters is whether the person had a documented need. Curiosity alone does not give a right to read health information.
Healthcare professionals have a duty of confidentiality. Helsenorge's guidance on sharing health information explains the need requirement and logging. Several people appearing in a log therefore does not mean the information is freely available.
Example: You visited the hospital on Monday and see an entry on Tuesday under an unfamiliar name. You ask what task the person had. The hospital can investigate whether the access concerned follow-up or something else. The date alone does not determine the answer.
If you know the person privately, you can mention this in your request. Calmly describe the relationship and ask for an investigation. Do not publicly share the person's name and record information to obtain an assessment.
How to request an explanation
Send your question in writing to the treatment centre holding the record. Helsenorge recommends written contact for questions about potentially unauthorised access.
Use the hospital's form for access-log questions if available. If you cannot use the form, ask the hospital for the correct secure channel. Ordinary email is not always suitable for sensitive health information.
You can write a specific request like this:
I request an explanation of the access to my record on [date], recorded under [name or unit]. The entry concerns [treatment centre]. I would like to know which task made the access necessary. Please investigate this and give me a written response.
Add the time or another reference if shown in the log. Provide the identity information requested by the centre's secure form. Do not attach more medical documents than the case needs.
Save the receipt and response. If the response does not explain the relevant entry, cite the reference and ask for clarification. You can also ask Pasient- og brukerombudet, the Health and Social Services Ombudsman, to help you understand your rights and formulate the request.
What should you do if the record is unavailable?
Contact the treatment centre directly and request access or an access log. Lack of digital display does not mean you have no record or right of access.
As of 3 October 2026, Helsenorge displays records from selected hospitals in Helse Nord, Vest and Sør-Øst. Hospitals in Helse Midt-Norge use another solution, HelsaMi, or can be contacted directly. Digital access can also vary within a region.
| What you want to investigate | First contact |
|---|---|
| A hospital record | The hospital or its record-request form |
| Your GP's record | The GP's office |
| Access to shared health information | The correct Helsenorge log and guidance about the service |
Request the log for the location and period concerned. A question sent to another hospital can be delayed because it does not hold the relevant record. If you lack digital login, ask about a paper form.
Can you restrict information?
You can restrict access to certain health information, but different settings have different consequences. Ask for guidance before changing them.
Logging out, withdrawing consent to Helsenorge and restricting healthcare professionals' access are different actions. Logging out ends your session. It does not automatically change who can read information in the healthcare system.
Helsenorge's guidance, checked on 3 October 2026, also distinguishes sperring, a restriction, from blokkering, blocking shared information. Sperring can be overridden in emergencies; blokkering also applies then. Clarify what the specific setting means for your treatment.
Ask for an explanation of which documents and people the restriction covers. Wanting to investigate a past entry is not in itself a reason to change every setting.
Checklist for a specific request
First find the correct record, then the log and specific entry. Next send a written question to the responsible treatment centre.
Collect the date, name or unit, and what you want explained. Keep copies secure, and distinguish record corrections from access investigations. Use SamfunnPrep's practical tools for other tasks in Norway; the access request itself belongs with the healthcare service.
