[Should patients automatically get copies of their medical reports?]. 
Since March 1997, the Department of Neurosurgery at Tromsø University Hospital has sent a copy of their medical report to all in-patients after discharge.  We performed telephone interviews with 100 patients in order to obtain their views on getting a copy of the medical report after discharge.  All patients were satisfied with getting the report.  They found the reports to be informative and a good supplement to the verbal information given at discharge.  No-one, not even the seriously ill patients, had been frightened by the medical information in the reports.  Sending a copy of the medical report to all in-patients after discharge increases confidence between patient and doctor and improves patient satisfaction.