Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 1, 2026
Who holds the health record in Uruguay?
In 2026, Uruguay scores 59 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 27th of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 13th to 42nd allowing for scoring error, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026.
The person has real controls inside a government or provider system. Its strongest right, compared with the typical country, is control over who sees it (66 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country). No right falls below the typical country; the closest to it is rules for AI in your care (30 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country).
Uruguayans can view their national health record online, limit who opens it and check who did, but it holds a minimum data set.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 1, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Mixed band, 45 to 64
59/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 13th to 42nd, allowing for scoring error
In 2026, getting your full record scores 65 out of 100 in Uruguay; the typical country scores 40 to 45. Ley 18.335 makes the patient the record's owner with a right to a copy, and the national Mi Historia Clinica Digital portal shows adult SNIS members the care events providers registered. Copies cost the patient, and the shared record is a minimum data set. Source: IMPO, August 15, 2008, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in Uruguay?
In 2026, you and the health system hold the keys to your health record in Uruguay. Control over who sees it scores 66 out of 100 in Uruguay; the typical country scores 30. By law a patient can block or limit access to their national record and see who opened it. Sharing is on by default, and the Health Ministry keeps its own right of access. Source: IMPO, October 15, 2018, and the other sources below.
How does Uruguay compare?
In 2026, Uruguay scores 59 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Costa Rica (54 out of 100), Brazil (52 out of 100) and Canada (52 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Costa Rica, Brazil, Canada and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
65
64 · 62 · 50
Control over who sees it20%
66
48 · 35 · 55
Privacy and security15%
57
40 · 58 · 58
One record across your care15%
60
68 · 55 · 50
Protection from sale and ads10%
52
52 · 55 · 45
Doctors see it when treating you10%
58
65 · 50 · 55
Your say over research use5%
49
45 · 50 · 49
Rules for AI in your care5%
30
30 · 57 · 56
Black dot: Uruguay. Hollow dots: Costa Rica, Brazil, Canada (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Overall: Uruguay 59 out of 100. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would Uruguay need to change to score higher?
Uruguay sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. Every right is at or above the typical country. The two with the most room to grow, weighted by how much each counts, are getting your full record (65 out of 100, against 40 to 45 for the typical country) and control over who sees it (66 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Getting your full record: A national portal that shows most people at least part of their record (a summary, prescriptions, lab results) puts this right at 60 to 75 out of 100. A near-full record that you can download, with a long history and used by most people, puts it at 76 to 90.
Control over who sees it: A way to say no to sharing (or to be asked first), a log you can read of who opened your record, and finer choices about who sees what. Together these put this right at 60 to 80 out of 100.
Which laws give health record rights in Uruguay?
Ley 18.335 (derechos de pacientes y usuarios) (2008): Patient owns the record; right to review and copy; research needs express revocable consent.
Ley 18.331 (proteccion de datos personales) (2008): Health is sensitive data; express written consent; access in five business days; fines to 500,000 UI.
Ley 19.670, articulos 38 y 194 (2018): Breach notification; all providers join HCEN; anyone may object to access through HCEN.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
45.5 2023
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
76.3 2023
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
28.0% 2023
Record reaches private care?
unknown
Real cases
January 15, 2025 · El País (Uruguay) Appeals court orders Hospital Policial to compensate patient over false entry in record
December 14, 2025 · Grupo R Multimedio (La R) Health worker says clinical records are completed afterwards to shield doctors from lawsuits
In 2026, Uruguay scored 59 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 27th of 198 countries and territories (could be 13th to 42nd), in the Mixed band. Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/uruguay/
The 17 sources for Uruguay
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
Getting your full record (4 sources)
“Ley 18.335, derechos y obligaciones de pacientes y usuarios” [Law 18.335, rights and obligations of patients and users] our machine translation
IMPO (law or regulation) · Title in Spanish
Dated August 15, 2008 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Your say over research use
“Decreto 122/019, incorporacion a la HCEN y gestion de accesos” [Decree 122/019, incorporation into the HCEN and access management] our machine translation
IMPO (law or regulation) · Title in Spanish
Dated May 13, 2019 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Control over who sees it; One record across your care; Doctors see it when treating you
“Receta electronica, simulacion clinica y asistentes de IA: la mirada de 3 expertos” [Electronic prescriptions, clinical simulation and AI assistants: the view of 3 experts] our machine translation
Forbes Uruguay (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated November 25, 2025 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Doctors see it when treating you
“Desde este viernes, cada persona puede ingresar a su historia clinica electronica” [Starting this Friday, everyone can access their electronic medical record] our machine translation
la diaria (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated September 2019 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“La Comision Europea ratifica el nivel adecuado de Uruguay para la proteccion de datos” [The European Commission confirms Uruguay's adequate level of data protection] our machine translation
URCDP (regulator) · Title in Spanish
Dated January 15, 2024 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Hackeos al Estado: que dice la Unidad Reguladora de Datos Personales” [Hacks on the State: what the Personal Data Regulatory Unit says] our machine translation
El Observador (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated November 12, 2025 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Privacy and security; Protection from sale and ads
“Uruguay bajo fuego: el avance de la infraestructura digital estatal se convierte en blanco del cibercrimen” [Uruguay under fire: the advance of state digital infrastructure becomes a target of cybercrime] our machine translation
Grupo R Multimedio (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated May 10, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“El MSP exigira registrar los proyectos de inteligencia artificial en salud” [The MSP will require registration of artificial intelligence projects in health] our machine translation
Nacion (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated September 10, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/uruguay/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
