Outside Records Before a New OB-GYN Patient's First Visit
This is general information about practice operations, not medical, legal or compliance advice. Check the rules that apply to your organization.
The problem
New patients, especially those transferring care during pregnancy, often have prior records at another practice: prenatal labs, ultrasounds, pap results, surgical history. When those records don't arrive before the first visit, clinicians work with incomplete information and may repeat tests or schedule another visit.
The challenges
- Patients don't know what to request. They may not know which records matter or how to ask.
- Authorization forms. Releasing practices need a signed authorization in the right form.
- Slow responses. Other offices handle records requests in their own queue.
- Records arrive as faxes or PDFs. Documents need to be matched to the chart and reviewed.
- Transfers in pregnancy are time-sensitive. Gestational age affects what care is due next.
Opportunity cost of the status quo
Missing records can mean repeated labs or imaging, longer first visits and extra appointments. Patients may feel the practice isn't prepared.
Illustrative arithmetic, not data: if 40 new patients a month arrive without records and a third need an extra visit to catch up, that is about 13 extra visits a month.
Industry solutions
Ask about prior care at scheduling. Collect the names of prior practices and the main reason for the visit when the appointment is booked.
Send the authorization early. Get the patient's signed release and send the request right away.
Follow up on outstanding requests. Track requests and follow up before the visit date.
Tell the patient what to bring. Ask patients to bring any portal printouts or records they have.
Prioritize transfers in pregnancy. Flag pregnant transfer patients so their records are chased first.
Questions to answer before you change anything
- What records are most often missing at first visits?
- How soon after scheduling is the records request sent?
- Who follows up on outstanding requests?
- How are outside records matched to the chart?