Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Sending patient their records

I wanted to send a patient their records so that they can provide them to their new doctor. I can't use Direct since the target doctor isn't using it (don't ask. Don't get me started) so I just want to send the records to the patient and let them print them or take the electronically.

Should I send the patient:

a) A Formal Medical Record for the entire chart?

b) A CCD?

c) something else.

I'm not going to go over my 500 page fax limit because these guys won't these nice tools. I just want to send it to the patient and let them deal with it.

We would simply make one PDF from their records, burn it to a CD and mail it to them in a small cushioned mail packet. If you are mailing it directly to the patient, you don't even need a release.

Or, you can make on PDF from their records, burn it to a CD and have the patient pick it up.

We have never had an issue doing the above and mailing it to another physician. In that case, you do need a release.

To more precisely answer your question, I like to right click on the patient name and Print Formal Health Record from the menu that pops up. Make sure you record the party you are sending it to, for the privacy act if not to the patient, and then you can select what aspects of the chart you want to give them. For instance, you may not want to give them the intra-office memos. (Of course you have to give everything to a lawyer, watch what you say in the memos!)

That's a good answer. The way I read the question, my answer would still be send the entire chart (excluding as Boondoc said) the intraoffice messages. Those should be considered work product anyway, but I always write too much as far as things I just shouldn't type.

Ok, the Formal Health Record. That's what I was using instead of "Print Entire Chart" or the CCD (is that still in there? I'm running V8.2.2). I use this to send the chart to the patient.

For sending directly to a physician, I was using the Transfer of Care document, especially if they have a Direct address. That is so easy!

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell even when they have systems that support it, most offices don't set it up or sometimes don't even seem to know about it.

What is a direct address?

Bert,I'm assuming you of all people are joking.

But just in case you are not, its the address that you get when you activate the secure messaging in Updox/AC. Not just to send info to patients.

One of our addresses is: MidtownPrimaryCare@doctorcoghill.amazing-direct.com

I think the domain always needs to have "direct" in it someplace.

Only a Direct address can send to or receive from a Direct adddress. Only healthcare organizations can get them. Its HIPAA compliant primarily for physicians to send patient info to other physicians and import it straight into the chart. It is really handy, at least it is as AC/Updox has implemented it.

No I am not joking. As you know I am a very, very serious poster, lol.

No, I don't use Updox.

Something similar is that most high-end fax machines can use Internext fax. It rarely is blocked by incoming faxes and is much faster. But, it only works if the recipient on the other end has Internet access and has a fax machine turned on.

As I see it, the federal government missed the boart over ten years ago, when they could have worked on similar things to HIEs and make sure EMRs work together.

It is certainly doable in this day and age, to be sitting in the room and make a referral to a consultant. Then choose certain data in the EMR that would be viewable by the consultant. The patient would give you the number of days they could be viewable, hopefully maybe 30 days past the consult. The consultant could then view the entire chart and after, type or dictate his or her condult note directly into the chart. The EMR would then email anyone you wished, say you and your receptionist and referral specialist to the doctor for sign off and viewing. Questions on the consult could be sent back (actually using the last phrase that the consultant states, "Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns." Meanwhile the consultant could decide whether to send none, some or all of the consultation back to the patient in a patient portal.

You would see the plan, x-rays, etc. that the consultant decided to do along with a section of things he or she wished for you to do. These resultsl would then make their way into the chart.

And, along the way, if any of it were slightly or completely HIPAA compliant, f..k it.

Bert, that certainly is a nice, convenient and efficient vision you have there of a possible process. Therefore, they will never do it.

It just seems that you are so well-versed in most things associated the using AC, I assumed you'd know more than I did about DIRECT messaging.

I'm not sure if you get it with the free version of Updox built into/interfacing with AC now. I know you get secure messaging to the patients though.

It is really simple and easy to use if you have the Direct address of the recipient. Try sending a Transfer of Care (you don't actually have to send it, just start the process) you'll see how you just need to select the recipient address.