Request For Transfer Release Of Medical Records: Fill & Download for Free

Facsimile.Yes, you read that correctly. In the 21st century, when the power of the internet can provide instant secure connectivity to transfer enormous quantities of data, U.S. hospitals pour millions and millions of dollars into EMRs that aren't compatible with each other, necessitating reliance on an ancient technology from the '60s unknown to the majority of human beings born in this country past 1995.In case you're curious, this is the process I usually go through:Step 1a: Make sure patient is conscious, can communicate, and has capacity to consent. If any of the above do not apply, hope that patient has legally recognized party that can consent for them present/reachable.Step 1b: Hope that patient or other related party remembers where they were treated, or at least enough information to successfully Google the treatment facility, like a street name, an intersection, anything. Hope that previous treatment facility still exists (they're obviously not getting care there right now for a reason, maybe the reason is because it's shut down).Step 2: Fill out, by hand, an extensive form to be signed by the patient explicitly consenting to the release of their medical information by the other healthcare entity.Step 3: Before asking the patient to sign the form, spend time explaining to the patient why access to prior records is necessary. Deal with patient reaction.Best scenario: Patient just nods, smiles, and signs form.Ok scenario: "Doc, I don't get it. I'm obviously here because I want treatment. If my past records are needed for treatment, why can't you just get them without having to go through me? Just do whatever it takes to get me better already." Patient signs form, shaking head.Stressful scenario: "Why the %$#& are you wasting my time with this @$#%&*!# instead of treating me?! If you need the *&@# records just get the $#@%ing records so we can get this &^*% done!" Patient throws pen in my face.Step 4: Find a working fax machine. This can be harder than an act of Congress.Step 5: Fax the form to the other facility. Hope their fax machine is working. Hope they have someone working at that time (at 3AM, this is not guaranteed). Call them to (hopefully) confirm receipt of the fax and explain that I need this information ASAP. If this step fails, try not to feel too much frustration that I spent over 2 decades studying to become a doctor only to be stalled by a piece of hardware that even my parents didn't own.Step 6: Wait for the other facility to find the requested records. This is, of course, assuming that they have someone working in medical records at that time. Even if they do, it could still be hours.Step 7: Receive, by fax, a bundle of grainy scanned papers from other facility. Hope desperately that the information I need is in there. Groan in realization that Control-F isn't going to help me and I need to search through the entire stack (sometimes hundreds of sheets, depending on patient's history) by hand to find what I need. Enlist medical student assistance if possible....and people wonder why I'm so obsessed with EMRs and how they need to be improved.

When I was 20 weeks pregnant with my second child in 1982 I had a sonogram during an emergency room visit after a heavy vaginal bleeding event. The test took forever, but having never had a sonogram before, I didn't know that wasn't normal. When the doctor returned after the test, he said the placenta had attached very close to the birth canal, which had contributed to the bleeding event . . . . but, it also appeared the baby had no kidneys. The baby's preliminary diagnosis was Potter Syndrome (aka renal agenesis) in which kidneys are either rudimentary or absent.We were literally in process of moving from one city to another and had a moving truck already half loaded waiting in front of our house when I went to the hospital. I was placed on bed rest and spent the next week at my grandmother's house. My husband, his best friend, and my father finished loading that truck and moved us into our new place sixty miles away. My OBGYN had told me I needed another sonogram ASAP to confirm this diagnosis and gave me the name of a doctor he knew in the new city.I made an appointment via telephone, and after a tearful week, my husband and father came to get me. My appointment was the following week. We had no insurance at the beginning of the pregnancy, so we were making regular cash payments to my original doctor. I had spoken to my new doctor's staff in the intervening week, and was told I would have to pay for my visit and the routine bloodwork, pap smear and other labs on the day of the visit. We were cash strapped after the moving expenses we'd had and I was worried about money.I explained my issue, and told them I didn't want to repeat all those tests. I wanted to just be seen and to schedule a sonogram. I also told them I was expecting a refund of excess monies already paid to my first doctor, and I wanted to transfer my records so I wouldn't have to pay for these tests twice. Once received, I would immediately pay those excess funds over to them. They were unmoved. I asked to speak to the doctor, and was ultimately contacted by his partner, who assured me they would wait for payment and not repeat the tests.On the day of the appointment the reception staff found no record of my conversation with the partner. The woman at the desk insisted I pay for that day's visit and the labs I would have. The partner was not in the building, so I couldn't talk to him. I was an emotional wreck, as you can imagine and I couldn't help but sob in the waiting room. I called my husband from their desk phone (we had no cell phones in 1982) and tearfully told him what was going on. I should tell you that he is legally blind and cannot drive, or he'd have rushed to my side at that moment. We agreed to just write them a damn check, to allow all the labs except the pap smear, and to tell the doctor what had happened when I saw him so I could get my sonogram scheduled.I sat through unnecessary blood work and then pointlessly peed in a cup for them. I also signed paperwork authorizing the transfer of my medical records. When I saw the doctor and explained my whole situation, he was a completely callous, heartless ass. He did a pelvic exam and, even though I had made it clear I did not want a pap smear, HE DID ONE ANYWAY without my knowledge or consent, and without payment. He told me I didn't need a sonogram and that I should go home and wait to deliver my baby. He was “sure” it would be healthy.After I got home, I called my original doctor to ask his advice. He immediately gave me another doctor's name and apologized for my horrible experience. He promised to expedite my refund and encouraged me to call him if I had any other issues. This third doctor was an absolute saint, and given my issue, his staff got me in right away. I suspect my first doctor called him with a heads up because it was a nurturing experience and not the torture I had gone through with doctor number two.I mentioned earlier that I had signed an authorization to transfer my medical records from doctor one to doctor two. That transfer did happen. When doctor three asked for my records from the medical monster's office, they held my records for ransom because I hadn't paid for that redundant pap smear. I had to pay for it in order get them to release my records. I was so fragile emotionally that I just did it.Before he would allow his staff to release my records, doctor two called me personally to discuss why I didn't want to continue to see him. I am not a confrontational person, but I told him what his staff did to me, and what he had done. I told him I would never, ever set foot in his office again, and that I wanted my records transferred immediately. Stunningly, he agreed, and he said he would refund everything I'd paid him, EXCEPT THE FEE FOR THE PAP SMEAR, because that specific test was done outside his office. I just wanted to stop talking to this awful man and I hung up.On October 16, 1982, my 3 lb., 13 oz. daughter was delivered 8 weeks early by doctor three. She lived for about 30 minutes. My doctor asked for permission to request an autopsy, which we agreed to. We wanted other children and needed to understand the risk of recurrence. It wasn't until we discussed the autopsy results with my doctor, that we learned that the person who did her autopsy was the very doctor who had told me to go home and wait for my healthy baby to be born. I was disgusted to think he had even touched her. Indeed, this was the man who confirmed her cause of death as Potter Syndrome. Now, forty years later, I think there was an element of karma in all of that. I sincerely hope he learned to treat people with compassion.

All of this medical historical information must be sent to a doctor that you choose, after you have signed release of information documentation at the office of this previous doctor. Alternatively, you can go to a new doctor and sign the release of information paper there, who will then transmit it to your old doctor and obtain all the records needed.Sometimes the doctors office may charge you photocopying cost, but it has to be reasonable to the community standards. This transfer of records on your request can not be refused after you have signed the release of records request form appropriately.The original record must be retained by your previous doctor for the legally required duration of time, in case there is a medico-legal action later on. But, patient is the ultimate owner of their own medical records. Doctors are expected to keep it safe, so you can access it when needed.