Medical Records Transfer Request Form: Fill & Download for Free

For our three children, we had a wonderful pediatrician who was very personable and always made time to talk with the kids, treating them like individuals. We also appreciated that her fees were reasonable.One day, we received notice that our doctor was moving from her modest office to a brand new posh building complete with valet, or paid parking. The suite had an enormous salt water aquarium filled with tang, puffer fish and striped eels (I’ve come to think of expensive fish tanks in a doctor’s office as an ominous sign).The new office was across town but we hung in there for a bit, soon to discover that we were charged for the copies of immunization records we used to get for free. We also noticed a pattern with the visits: our beloved pediatrician would enter the room like she was shot from a cannon, give a cursory exam and dispense a prescription based on symptoms listed on the intake form. We couldn’t get a word in edgewise before her hand was already on the door to leave. When we persisted in asking a question, she would half turn back toward us while keeping her hand on the door lever.We started referring to her as “Dr. Door Knob.”Visits went from 8–10 minutes to about 90 seconds.We assumed the change in character and practices was the result of some monetization seminar and the cost of feeding eels.When we received a marketing survey sponsored by the doctor, we answered candidly and were surprised to receive a terse call from an office administrator.We decided maybe it was time to find a new pediatrician.The last straw came when we requested transfer of our medical records and the former pediatrician refused to send them. Instead, we received a call telling us that we had an appointment for a checkup that we hadn’t scheduled.We canceled the appointment and again requested the medical records transfer.We received another uncomfortable call from the administrator asking if and why we intended to change physicians.When we explained our reasons once more, the administrator informed us that there would be a $100 fee to transfer the records. Initially, she seemed to imply that the fee would be per child. When we baulked, she relented to the single fee of $100.We made the switch and never looked back.

Illegal? No. You don’t own the records. The doctor does. It’s bad form, but not illegal.Do you owe them money? Did you leave under bad terms, like threatening to sue?You are required to have access, but they can charge fees. I have seen flat rates of $5 or thereabouts, or up to $2/page. You are responsible for these fees, though in my professional experience it’s rare when transferring from doctor to doctor.Who Owns Your Medical Record?It not unusual for medical records to take a while to be transferred to a new provider, nor is it unusual for it to be done quickly. Healthcare is in the middle of a transition to electronic media that is simply overwhelming the profession. It is possible that this is the root of your r difficulties…providing you didn’t leave on bad terms. Threatening to sue everyone has a way of making records disappear.

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.