Medical Record Request Policy and Procedure

1. Types of Medical Record Requests

A. Third Party Requests (e.g. lawyers, insurers – third party pays)
Receptionist receives the request via fax or email.
 
Verify patient details:
a. Full name
b. Date of birth
c. Address
d. Compare signature with consent stored in our system.
 
If information is missing or consent is invalid
Do not release any information
Reply/Inform the requester via email using Template A in Appendix to request a corrected consent form
Record a BP note:
“Third-party request received with mismatched or invalid consent. Awaiting corrected form.”
 
If there is no signature in our system to compare, contact the patient to complete our Health Information Request Form with clear statement of: “Consent to release to [Lawyer/Clinic Name]”.
 
If verified:
a. Save the request in Patient Files.
b. Assign a task under the Nurse column in BP with the note:
“Request Medical Report Received from [Organization], request verified.”
c. Record a BP Note:
“Received signed medical record request from [Organization] via [Fax/Email] on [Date].
Details reviewed and matched. Referred to nurse for further processing.”
 
Nurse reviews the request and:
a. Counts total pages:
Past Visits
Investigation Reports
Correspondence In / Out
Optional: Health Summary (max. 2 pages)
b. Identifies the responsible doctor based on clinical notes.
c. Informs Reception of doctor and total pages.
 
Reception raises an invoice:
a. Ensure correct clinic location (Student or Central) is selected, check against the original request form.
b. Provider: [Doctor Name]
c. Bill to: Other → Search → Contact ([Organization Name])
If not found: BP → View → Contacts → Add New
d. Billing Schedule: Full fee
e. Add Items:
Medical Record Transfer Fee: $39.70
Pages: $0.20 per page
 
Email the invoice to the third party via BP. Then email the requester using email Template C under Appendix.
 
Copy the task under Reception column after 1 week as a reminder to check for remittance.
 
Once remittance is received:
a. Notify Coco to confirm payment receipt in the clinic’s bank account.
b. Coco confirms; Reception to inform nurse proceeds with next steps.
 
Turnaround Time Compliance
 
AIMHealth does not accelerate third-party administrative requests unless related to patient safety or clinical risk.
Standard processing time is up to 30 days following receipt of valid consent and full payment.
External parties’ requested deadlines are not binding and must not override clinic policy or clinical workload.
 
Nurse assigns a task to the responsible doctor:
“Medical record request from [Organization], $XX paid, please review ALL medical records.”
 
Doctor reviews records, contacts patient if needed to confirm what can be released.
 
Nurse follows up with the doctor if needed, then updates task with note:
  “Dr [Name] confirmed full medical record okay to be released.”
 
Nurse exports medical records:
  a. If via email → forward to IT for password-protected PDF
  b. If via fax → export directly, no encryption required
 
Nurse confirms with doctor before sending:
  a. Final content to be released
  b. Delivery method (email or fax)
 
Nurse sends the file.
 
Record final BP Note:
  “Patient medical record released to [Recipient] by emailing password-protected PDF / faxing to [Email/Fax Number], as per Dr [Name].”
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
B. Requests from Another Clinic (Clinic-to-Clinic Transfer)
 
Receptionist receives the request via fax or email from another GP clinic.
Verify patient details:
a. Full name
b. Date of birth
c. Address
d. Compare signature with consent in our system.
 
If no consent or invalid details:
Do not release any information
Reply/Inform the requester via email using Template A in Appendix to request a corrected consent form
Record a BP note:
“Third-party request received with mismatched or invalid consent. Awaiting corrected form.”
If verified:
a. Save request in Patient Files.
b. Assign task under Nurse column in BP:
“Request Medical Report Received from [Clinic], request verified.”
c. Record BP Note:
“Received signed medical record request from [Clinic] via [Fax/Email] on [Date].
Details reviewed and matched. Referred to nurse for further processing.”
 
Nurse:
a. Prepares Health Summary
b. Prepares Response Letter to the request
c. Identifies the GP the patient most recently consulted and assigns the task to their appointment book
 
Doctor reviews and approves the documents.
 
Nurse confirms review is complete and informs Reception.
 
Reception faxes the following back to the requesting clinic:
a. Original request
b. Health Summary
c. Response Letter
 
Reception Record BP Note:
“Health Summary and response letter sent to [Clinic] on [Date], reviewed and approved by Dr [Name].”
 
Please note, in the Response Letter it says:
“If you require a complete copy of the medical record, a fee will apply.
Please advise the patient to contact us to arrange payment if this is the case.”
So the patient may contact us to request full record:
Process follows Section A, but invoice the patient directly.

C. Patient-Initiated Requests (Patient pays)
 
If the patient requests a copy of their own records:
a. Have them complete our Health Information Request Form.
b. Inform them of fees:
Admin Fee: $39.70
$0.20 per page
 
If patient wants to transfer to another clinic:
Recommend the receiving clinic send the request (see Section B)
 
Once the patient form is completed and payment accepted:
Follow steps in Section A, but invoice the patient.
 

2. No Signature in Our System
 
If no signature is available to verify:
a. Contact the patient
b. Have them complete a Health Information Request Form
c. If releasing to third party, the form must state:
“Consent to release to [Lawyer / Clinic Name]”
 

3. Documentation
 
All steps must be clearly documented in Best Practice (BP).
 
BP notes should include:
a. Request type and source
b. Verification status
c. Task assignments
d. Invoicing and payment tracking
e. Doctor review and approval
f. Record dispatch and method
 
Ensure correct:
Provider is assigned
Clinic location (Student or Central) is selected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appendix: Email Communication Templates
 
Appendix A: Standard Communication Templates
 
Template A – Invalid or Mismatched Consent
Subject: Request for Correction – Valid Consent Required
Dear [Name],
Thank you for your request for medical records relating to [Patient Full Name].
After reviewing the consent form, we identified that the following patient identifiers do not match the information held in our system:
• Name / Date of Birth / Address / Signature (select as applicable)
 
Under the Health Records Act 2001 (VIC), we are unable to release any information until we receive a corrected consent form that accurately reflects the patient details we hold.
Please resend a valid consent form with correct information so we may proceed.
Thank you for your understanding.
Kind regards
AIMHealth Melbourne
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Template B – Fee Waiver-requested by Third Party
Subject: Medical Record Request – Fee Policy
Dear [Name],
Thank you for your correspondence.
Our clinic follows the Health Records Act 2001 (VIC) for access to medical information. A fee applies for administration, doctor review, and secure document handling. We are unable to waive these costs for third-party requests.
Please kindly advise whether the invoice should be issued to your organisation or directly to the patient. Processing will commence upon receipt of payment and valid consent.
Thank you for your understanding.
Kind regards,
AIMHealth Melbourne
 
 
Template C – Acknowledgement of Valid Request and Payment Terms
Subject: Medical Record Request – Invoice Issued
Dear [Name],
 
We confirm receipt of your request for the medical records of [Patient Name].
An invoice has now been issued, and once payment is received, the request will be processed in accordance with our standard timeframe of up to 30 days.
Feel free to confirm remittance once completed.
Kind regards
AIMHealth Melbourne