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Overview

The Attachment model handles file uploads and storage for various entities in the system using Laravel’s polymorphic relationships. Currently used for patient medical records, lab results, and documentation. Model Location: app/Models/Attachment.php
Database Table: attachments

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Database Schema

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id
integer
required
Primary key, auto-incrementing
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attachable_id
integer
required
ID of the parent model (e.g., patient ID)
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attachable_type
string
required
Class name of the parent model (e.g., ‘App\Models\Patient’)
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file_path
string
required
Storage path to the uploaded file
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file_name
string
required
Original filename of the uploaded file
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mime_type
string
required
MIME type of the file (e.g., ‘application/pdf’, ‘image/jpeg’)
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file_size
integer
required
File size in bytes
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label
string
Optional descriptive label for the attachment
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created_at
timestamp
Record creation timestamp
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updated_at
timestamp
Record last update timestamp

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Fillable Attributes

protected $fillable = [
    'attachable_id',
    'attachable_type',
    'file_path',
    'file_name',
    'mime_type',
    'file_size',
    'label',
];

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Accessors

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URL Accessor

The model automatically appends a url attribute that provides the public URL to access the file: 
protected $appends = ['url'];

public function getUrlAttribute(): string
{
    return \Illuminate\Support\Facades\Storage::url($this->file_path);
}

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Relationships

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Polymorphic Relationship

public function attachable(): MorphTo
{
    return $this->morphTo();
}
This allows attachments to belong to any model. Currently supported:
  • Patient: Medical records, lab results, imaging

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Usage Examples

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Uploading an Attachment

use App\Models\Patient;
use Illuminate\Http\UploadedFile;

$patient = Patient::find(1);
$file = $request->file('document');

// Store file
$path = $file->store('attachments/patients', 'public');

// Create attachment record
$attachment = $patient->attachments()->create([
    'file_path' => $path,
    'file_name' => $file->getClientOriginalName(),
    'mime_type' => $file->getMimeType(),
    'file_size' => $file->getSize(),
    'label' => 'Lab Results - January 2026',
]);

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Retrieving Attachments

// Get all attachments for a patient
$patient = Patient::with('attachments')->find(1);

foreach ($patient->attachments as $attachment) {
    echo "File: {$attachment->file_name}\n";
    echo "URL: {$attachment->url}\n";
    echo "Size: " . number_format($attachment->file_size / 1024, 2) . " KB\n";
}

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Filtering by File Type

// Get only PDF attachments
$pdfAttachments = $patient->attachments()
    ->where('mime_type', 'application/pdf')
    ->get();

// Get only images
$images = $patient->attachments()
    ->where('mime_type', 'like', 'image/%')
    ->get();

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Deleting an Attachment

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Storage;

$attachment = Attachment::find(1);

// Delete file from storage
Storage::disk('public')->delete($attachment->file_path);

// Delete database record
$attachment->delete();

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Getting Attachment Size (Human Readable)

$attachment = Attachment::find(1);

function formatBytes($bytes) {
    $units = ['B', 'KB', 'MB', 'GB'];
    $bytes = max($bytes, 0);
    $pow = floor(($bytes ? log($bytes) : 0) / log(1024));
    $pow = min($pow, count($units) - 1);
    return round($bytes / (1024 ** $pow), 2) . ' ' . $units[$pow];
}

echo formatBytes($attachment->file_size); // "2.5 MB"

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File Type Restrictions

The system enforces the following file upload restrictions:
Maximum File Size: 10 MB (10240 KB)This limit is enforced at the controller validation level.

Documents

PDF, DOC, DOCX - Medical records, reports

Images

JPG, PNG, JPEG - X-rays, scans, photos

Spreadsheets

XLS, XLSX - Lab results, data tables

Text Files

TXT, RTF - Notes, transcriptions

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Storage Configuration

Attachments are stored using Laravel’s public disk: 
// config/filesystems.php
'public' => [
    'driver' => 'local',
    'root' => storage_path('app/public'),
    'url' => env('APP_URL').'/storage',
    'visibility' => 'public',
],
Ensure you run php artisan storage:link to create the symbolic link from public/storage to storage/app/public.

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Security Considerations

Access Control: File access should be controlled through authentication middleware. Only authorized users (doctors, receptionists, admins) and the patient themselves should access patient attachments.
File Validation: Always validate file types and sizes on upload to prevent malicious file uploads. The AttachmentController implements this validation.

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