Final answer:
The medical records of a patient should be delivered to the court as original documents or certified copies, authenticated by the records custodian. This process must consider costs, patient quality of life, and privacy risks.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a court requires the delivery of medical records and does not accept photocopies, the original documents or certified copies must be provided. Certified copies are duplicates of the original records that have been officially authenticated by the custodian of the records. In the legal context, this often involves affixing a seal or a stamp to indicate that the copy is true and accurate, and the certification process may also include a signed statement by the responsible authority.
Considering the sensitivity and privacy concerns associated with medical records, the process of delivering these records to the court should adhere to strict procedures to ensure the protection of patient confidentiality. This necessitates the formulation of robust policies that contemplate the following: the costs of treatments and diagnoses; the impact on patient quality of life; and the risks to individual privacy.