Years ago, I used a neighborhood doctor/clinic for my daughter's primary clinical care (i.e. check-ups, shots, illness). We haven't visited this clinic in years. Recently, my daughter has been diagnosed with a disease that is believed to have been with her at birth. They hospital want her medical records from this clinic. I went to the clinic today and found that the doctor is deceased and someone else is in the clinic. The doctor there has no info about what happened to the records. Can someone tell me where I should start looking for these records?
2006-12-14 05:30:53 · 6 answers · asked by sleepingbeauty123 3 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
First of all, how old is your daughter now? If she is an adult, then you may not ever get those records. Docs are not required to keep records for ever. You probably knew that.
The doctor probably had an estate, will, trust, ect. If you can find out who handled that, they will likely have contacts into who has access to the records. A lot of those records may have fallen back on the family. They may have them in a storage unit or garage somewhere.
If the physician practicing there now bought the practice from your daughter's previous physician, then they were more than likely responsible to retain the records for the amount of time your state requires. I cannot see how they could absolve themselves of this responsibility, unless they selectively purchased only some of the practices assets.
Keep pressing people at the practice. The records may be in a storage unit somewhere; and, it may be that someone just does not want to dig into the records. When they realize that you are not going away, things may start to happen. Ask to talk to the practice administrator.
Also, if you can find any employees from the previous practiuce, they may be able to help you. They could tell you the name of the office manager or practice administrator that was in place when the doctor stopped practicing medicine.
If you can find the business license application from the city or town where the doc practiced, that may help you too. Other information sources could include records from the state licensing board, or records from the medical staff office of a hospital where he had privileges.
This could get nasty, and you may have to be very diplomatically assertive. Usually state laws require doctors to hold onto kids records for longer than adults. A common rule of thumb is do not discard the records until the child has reached their 20th birthday.
I hope that your daughter finds some good solutions.
2006-12-14 06:47:45 · answer #1 · answered by Matt-Health 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Find Old Medical Records
2016-12-08 19:10:16 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
locate the hospital that you normally go to request all her medical records from there. Even though a Doctor may have his own office; Medical records are always sent to the hospital that you normally go to. You can also call the local court office and ask them to help locate your medical records. Of course through them you will need to give all of your information. Another way is if she seen more than one doctor during that time, doctors transfer each other the imfo. on their patients. Try looking up one of the other doctors.
2006-12-14 05:50:14 · answer #3 · answered by no.#1 Mom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even though the doctor is deceased, they would know where the records are. You need to press them on this. They would have stored the old records, not thrown them out. Call them back.
2006-12-14 05:35:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They have to have them there. Although where I work we discard charts after 7 years. Sometimes they lose them on accident. No lie! If you need any more info email me.
2006-12-14 05:38:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can ask to see your medical records and you can ask the Doctor any question you have
2006-12-14 05:39:01 · answer #6 · answered by Dragon Hart 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋