There are many reasons why patients choose to transfer or transition their medical care from one doctor to another.
We at MDC-Atlanta suggest the following steps to take in the transition of medical care:.
-Notify your current doctor or health care provider regarding your intent to discontinue medical services with that provider, and transfer medical care to a different provider. Notify the hospital medical records department if you were discharged from a hospital so that your outpatient-based doctor or health care provider may receive pertinent medical records for appropriate continuity of care.
-Notify your new doctor or health care provider regarding your intent to form a new patient-physician relationship.
-Complete an appropriate HIPAA release form, an example of which can be viewed by clicking on the two images below:
When you have been discharged from a hospital, certain basic medical records are essential for communication as well as for continuity of appropriate medical care.
Medical documents from a hospital admission should include for instance:
The Hospital Discharge Summary, as it is called, which should include hospital admission/attending physician, detailed history and physical, imaging studies, labs/tests ordered, working diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and course of hospitalization including specialist referrals, as well as discharge diagnoses and recommendations for social work or home care.
-The above fore-mention completed document with HIPAA compliance to release medical records from previous provider should be sent to the doctor or health care provider with whom you will be discontinuing medical services, or hospital medical records department from the hospital facility where you were discharged. According to standards, your medical records from your previous provider should be available to your new physician within two(2) weeks; or if discharged from a hospital, then your medical records from the hospital should be available to your new out-patient base doctor or health care provider within thirty (30) days after the date of hospital discharge.
-Schedule an appropriate face to face visit with your new doctor or health care provider.
Here at MDC-Atlanta, we strongly recommend direct, oral communication between your previous health care provider and Dr. Gates for safety of continuity of medical care, but it is not absolutely required.
Medical Diagnostic Choices, MDC-Atlanta
