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Your health data.
Your right. Your responsibility.

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6
Core federal rights every patient holds today
Capped
Fees for copies of your record are limited to reasonable, cost-based amounts1
30 days
Standard deadline for a provider to respond (one 30-day extension allowed)1
23%
Of U.S. adults were not offered online access to their health records in 20242
Many patients don’t realize they have a legal right to their complete health records. We’re changing that — one patient at a time.
Download the Health Data Literacy Handbook → Support our work
What we do

Your complete guide to
patient data rights

I ♥ Data is a nonprofit that teaches health data literacy. We begin with patients, offering plain-language guides and simple steps for finding, understanding, and using their own health information. We also work with communities, healthcare providers, and health systems, so that everyone who takes part in a person’s care can share information clearly and with trust.

Hands holding a heart
Patient rights
Did you know?
Your health information is about you, and you have a right to it.
You should have full access to your data — all of it.
You get to decide how your data is shared and with whom.
You can carry your data with you — across systems, providers, and your lifetime.
Your voice comes first in every decision about your data.
We provide plain-language guidance to HIPAA, the 21st Century Cures Act, and every right you hold as a patient, in formats that are easy to understand and use.
Records
Secure
Your data, secured and yours.

Every patient has federally protected rights over their health data. We help you understand them — and act on them.

Cover of the I Heart Data Health Data Literacy Handbook, 2026
Free resource
The Health Data Literacy Handbook

A 26-page guide to your health data, your rights, and how to use them — in plain language, with steps you can take today.

Download the Health Data Literacy Handbook →

Inform, spark, and empower every patient.

Inform the public
We explain how HIPAA, the 21st Century Cures Act, consent, and ownership work in everyday words, so you can see how these rules apply to your own care.
HIPAACures ActConsentOwnership
Spark curiosity
Every movement starts with a good question. We share stories and join community conversations so people feel free to ask where their data lives, who has it, and what they can do with it.
Where is my data?Who controls it?
Empower action
Knowing your rights is the first step, and we help with the next ones: requesting your records, using secure channels, and carrying your own health information wherever your care takes you.
Access recordsDirect Secure Address

Knowledge that gives you control

Here are the current rights every patient holds.

Right to access your records
Request your complete record from any provider — they generally must respond within 30 days.
Learn more →
Timeline
2014
Founder launches "I ♥ Data" at Ryan Health, NYC — sparking a conversation about patient data rights that most people didn't know they had.
2016
21st Century Cures Act signed into law — giving every patient the right to their electronic health data, in days, not months.
2023
Information Blocking Rule enforcement expands patient data access rights and accountability nationwide.
Now
I ♥ Data relaunches as a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit movement. The urgency has only grown since 2014.
"I began using I ♥ Data as a message of empowerment — to spark curiosity, start conversations, and help patients realize they have a right to see and understand their own data."
Natacha Fernández, Founder  ·  I ♥ Data
2014
Founded at Ryan Health, NYC
Capped
Fees for record copies limited to reasonable costs
30 days
Standard response deadline (one extension allowed)
23%
Of U.S. adults not offered online record access (2024)
6
Core federal rights every patient holds
Nonprofit
501(c)(3) registered organization
Now
Relaunching as a national movement
2014
Founded at Ryan Health, NYC
Capped
Fees for record copies limited to reasonable costs
30 days
Standard response deadline (one extension allowed)
23%
Of U.S. adults not offered online record access (2024)
6
Core federal rights every patient holds
Nonprofit
501(c)(3) registered organization
Now
Relaunching as a national movement
Who we serve

Built for patients. Built with health systems.

For patients
Your data, your power
Step-by-step guides, plain-language explainers, and real tools — so you can access your records, understand your health information, and feel confident navigating your care. No lawyers needed.
Know your rights →
For health systems & partners
Informed patients. Better outcomes.
We partner with hospitals, clinics, and payers to build cultures of transparency — because informed patients lead to better care, fewer disputes, and deeper trust.
Partner with us →
Join the movement

It starts with
a question.
Where is your data?

Get our free Health Data Literacy Handbook — plain-language, actionable, and yours in 60 seconds.

Want to support the mission?
Support I ♥ Data Partner with us
Sources & notes. 1 HIPAA Right of Access, 45 CFR §164.524: providers must act on a request within 30 days and may extend once by 30 days with written notice; fees are limited to reasonable, cost-based amounts (UNC School of Government summary). 2 ASTP/ONC Data Brief 77 (HINTS 7, 2024): 77% of individuals were offered online access to their medical records or a patient portal; 23% were not. Our statement that many patients do not realize they are exercising a legal right reflects U.S. Government Accountability Office commentary on patient access.