If your doctor is retiring, you need to get a copy of your medical records transferred to a new physician right away

If your doctor is about to retire, you probably aren’t exactly looking forward to the challenges and inconveniences that go along with selecting a new physician and getting used to that person. Fortunately, My Retired Doctor can make at least one of the tasks related to dealing with a retiring doctor—namely ordering your medical records — easy. If your physician chose us as their medical records custodian, all you have to do is fill out a simple online form or give us a call to retrieve copies of your medical records. Here are 5 good reasons for you to complete this process ASAP.

Facilitate a Switch to a New Doctor

The first reason to request your medical records immediately following your last appointment with your retiring doctor is to make it easier to switch to a new doctor. If you’ve already selected your new doctor, we can have your records sent directly to their office or clinic. If you’re still looking for a replacement for your retiring doctor, we can release your records into your care, and you can bring them with you to your first appointment with whichever new doctor you end up choosing.

Ensure Continuity of Care

Another reason to request a copy of your medical records is to ensure continuity of care from your new physician. Obviously your new physician could theoretically start from scratch when accepting you as a patient, but this is hardly an efficient way of providing you with the best care. You’re much better off having a copy of your medical record on hand for any new doctors or specialists to reference when prescribing medications or other treatments.

Avoid Duplicate Procedures

Without a complete copy of your medical records that includes all diagnostic tests, medications, surgeries, etc., you risk different doctors and specialists duplicating one another’s work. You might end up having to pay for duplicate tests or try remedies you already know won’t be effective for you. These scenarios can be avoided by having a complete and up to date copy of your medical records on hand.

Get an Electronic Copy of your Records

When your retiring doctor transfers your patient records to My Retired Doctor, they will typically be scanned to create an electronic copy of your records. By requesting your medical record after this process has been completed, you can get a high-quality digital copy of your medical record that is easy to keep private and can be used to create multiple paper copies whenever you need them at no additional charge.

Update Your Personal Health Record

One final reason to request your medical records ASAP after your doctor retires is that doing so will help you keep your personal health record up to date. A personal health record is highly recommended as a way to make vital information about your care easily available, not only to doctors but also to loved ones or powers of attorney who may need to know this information if you have an accident or become incapacitated in some way.