How do I get started?
Once you know where to request your records from, you need to determine the method you will use to obtain the records. Some medical providers have portals which they use to share and exchange information with you. Oftentimes, these portals contain your medical records. If you have access to a portal already, log into the portal first and look around to make sure the option to request records is not already present.
If you are sure the provider doesn’t have a portal, or if you are unsure, we recommend calling the facility in advance to determine their requirements for obtaining records. They may be able to provide you with credentials to access your chart via their portal, or they may tell you that you have to complete the request in person. When you contact the provider, make sure to ask whether there is a charge associated with the release of your records.
Please be aware that oftentimes “MyChart” or portal documents are not the actual medical records. Instructions or visit summaries without any doctor’s notes or reports are not medical records. Please make sure to let the provider know that you need your “actual medical records.”
How do I complete the request?
If requesting records in person, you will need some form of ID.
If the request mentions which dates of service you would like, always choose any and all, or some variation of the sort. If there is not an option to choose “All”, include January 1st of whichever year you were treated to present. So, someone who received treatment in 2017 would include ‘01/01/2017 – Present’ in the dates of service section of the request.
Also be aware that sometimes facilities will intentionally withhold specific documents, such as pathology reports, pharmacy records, fetal monitoring strips, and more if these items are not specifically requested. So, if you are aware that you need something specific, you may also need to include that item on the request as well. For example, you could list “any and all dates of service AND radiology images”, or “any and all dates of service AND fetal monitoring strip/birth records”.
If you have the option, indicate that you want the records in electronic format. This is going to save you some money, and also make the process of obtaining the records more efficient. You may also request that the records be delivered electronically. This too should save money. If this option does not exist on the request or authorization form, ask someone in the records department if electronic delivery is available.
Make sure to get a date of estimated completion, as well as the name and contact information for someone in the records or release of information department in case you need to follow up on your request. If for some reason the provider tells you that your records will not be ready within 30 days, find out how long the provider expects it to take.
