Field guide · 2026
Second opinion in Vietnam: how to ask for records and a review
A second opinion in Vietnam starts with paperwork. Ask the first hospital for a copy of your records and your scans on disc. Then ask the second doctor for a review. This guide covers only those admin steps. It gives no medical advice.
Know your right to see your records
Since January 1, 2024, patients in Vietnam have had a legal right to read, view, copy and take notes on their medical records. They can also receive a summary of them. The right comes from the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (No. 15/2023/QH15).
The law ties the right to a written request, so follow the hospital's process. Each hospital sets its own form, fee and wait time.
Sources: Law No. 15/2023/QH15 (English text, LuatViet), Article 12.
Request a copy of your records
Start at the records or reception desk of the hospital that treated you. Hong Ngoc General Hospital in Hanoi publishes a clear example on its website. Other hospitals will differ, so treat it as a sample, not a rule.
- A written request on the hospital's form.
- Your discharge papers. The original is shown for comparison, or you bring a notarized copy.
- Your ID. A foreign patient would show a passport; ask the hospital what it accepts.
- If someone else applies for you, an authorization letter or proof of the family link.
You can hand these in at reception. Hong Ngoc also takes notarized scans by email. It lists a fee of 150,000 VND and a wait of up to 5 working days after valid documents arrive. It lists no fee for inpatients still in treatment.
Ask three things on day one: what form do I fill in, what does it cost, and when is it ready. Write down the answers and the name of the person who gave them.
Sources: Hong Ngoc General Hospital, "Instructions for medical record copy procedure," hongngochospital.vn.
Ask for imaging on disc
A written report is not enough for most reviews. A new doctor often wants to look at the scans themselves. Ask for X-ray, CT or MRI images on a disc or as a digital file.
Vinmec, a private hospital group, lists imaging discs and digital imaging among items an international patient can request before leaving. Its guide dated August 19, 2026 also warns that some imaging files may need extra processing time. Ask early, not on your last day.
Also ask the hospital to check that the disc opens on a normal computer. Some discs need a viewer program. If so, ask that the viewer be included.
Sources: Vinmec, "Guide for International Patients Before Visiting Vinmec," vinmec.com.
Get the key pages translated
Vinmec's guide tells international patients to bring records for the condition, preferably translated into English where available. The same guide says its medical tourism team can arrange interpreter support.
You do not need every page translated. Pick the pages a reviewing doctor will want first:
- The discharge summary.
- Test and lab results.
- Imaging reports.
- Any surgery or procedure note.
- The list of medicines you were given.
Ask the hospital if it can provide English copies. If not, use a professional translator. Keep the Vietnamese originals with the translations, because the second doctor may want to see both.
Sources: Vinmec, "Guide for International Patients Before Visiting Vinmec," vinmec.com.
Book the review
With the records, the disc and the translations in hand, contact the second doctor or hospital. Many hospitals have an international patient desk. Ask these admin questions:
- Will you review records before the visit, or only at an appointment?
- Which file formats do you accept for scans?
- Do you need records sent ahead, and to which address?
- What is the fee for the visit or the review?
- Can I get a written summary afterward?
The 2023 law does not, in the text we read, set out a patient's right to demand a second opinion. So plan for a normal booking, with a normal fee. Do not assume a second hospital must accept your case.
Keep your own copy of everything you send. Send copies, never your only originals.
Sources: Law No. 15/2023/QH15 (English text, LuatViet); Vinmec international patient guide.
A short checklist
- Ask for the records form, fee and timing.
- Hand in ID, discharge papers and any authorization.
- Request scans on disc or as digital files.
- Translate the key pages.
- Ask the second hospital what it needs before booking.
Hospital rules change. Check each one directly. Your own doctors, not this guide, are the people to ask about your care.
Sources: as listed above.