Q: We recently received a request for a patient's records. The patient transferred to another provider several years ago and we subsequently transferred all the patient's records to the new provider. Should I direct the request to the provider the patient transferred to? I'm unsure that we should be responsible for retrieving and releasing information for this patient since we transferred the patient's entire record to the new provider.
A: If you sent a copy of the patient's records to the new provider and still have the original records, it would be appropriate for you to respond to the request. If you transferred all records to the new provider and no longer have the patient's information, refer the request to the new provider.
Editor's note: Mary Brandt, MBA, RHIA, CHE, CHPS, is a healthcare consultant specializing in healthcare regulatory compliance and operations improvement. She is also an advisory board member for BOH. This information does not constitute legal advice. Consult legal counsel for answers to specific privacy and security questions. Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent HCPro or ACDIS. Email your HIPAA questions to Associate Editor Nicole Votta at nvotta@hcpro.com.
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