Medical records serve four main purposes: 1. To document a patient's medical history and treatment over time for future reference by physicians. 2. To justify medical services and procedures for insurance reimbursement purposes. 3. To allow patients access to their own records to make informed healthcare decisions. 4. To collect medical data for research studies. A patient could lose trust if their medical records were improperly accessed or disclosed without permission, violating their privacy and confidentiality. Addressing any privacy breaches transparently and apologizing would be important to regain a patient's trust.