CPSBC continues to receive inquiries from patients who encounter difficulties obtaining their medical records once a licensee leaves a practice, retires or transitions out of care delivery. These situations are often avoidable with appropriate planning, when clear record management arrangements are in place.
During transitions such as retirement, licensees remain responsible for ensuring appropriate custody for their medical records and that they are maintained and stored in accordance with ethical, professional and legal requirements even after they have left practice. This includes planning for continuity in advance of departure and ensuring that patients are informed of how and where they can access their records going forward.
In instances where a record storage company has assumed responsibility for a licensee’s medical records following the closure of a practice, they take full custody of the records under contractual agreements. This includes an obligation to provide patients with access, usually for a set fee.
Where records are held within a group practice or shared system, formal agreements must be established with clearly defined responsibilities for ongoing ownership and custody by other health-care providers. Per the CPSBC Bylaws, departing licensees are legally required to arrange for the retention or transfer of their records and they must inform CPSBC of that location.
Licensees are encouraged to review their current arrangements to ensure they meet the expectations outlined in the Medical Records Management practice standard. CPSBC has also published an online course on medical records management to help licensees apply the standard to their practice. Licensees are further reminded of the importance of contingency planning in the event of an unexpected absence from practice.
Ensuring enduring access to medical records when leaving practice, whether planned or unanticipated, is a foundational element of safe, ethical, and patient-centred care. CPSBC appreciates licensees’ ongoing commitment to upholding these responsibilities in support of their patients’ well-being.
Patrick Rowe, MD, CCFP (EM), FCFP
Registrar and CEO
Comments on this or any other article published in the College Connector can be submitted to the communications and public affairs department at communications@cpsbc.ca.