Final answer:
The patient's medical record technically belongs to the physician or healthcare provider but is governed by HIPAA, ensuring the patient's privacy and rights to access.
Step-by-step explanation:
The patient's medical record is a confidential document that holds comprehensive information about a patient's medical history, treatments, and diagnoses. Legally, while the facilities where patients receive care maintain the records, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), passed into law in 1996, grants patients the rights to access their own medical records and enforces strict rules on confidentiality and privacy. Therefore, the medical record technically belongs to the physician or healthcare provider who is required to keep it private with certain exceptions, such as public health considerations or legal orders. However, the patient has significant rights to access and control over their information.