If your doctor is retiring, you need to complete these 4 steps to ensure continuity of quality care
If your doctor is retiring, you may find yourself feeling apprehensive about the prospect of losing the doctor-patient relationship that you’ve established together over the years. There are lots of challenges that come along with switching doctors, but by following these 4 steps you can make a very good start towards being prepared for your current doctor’s retirement.
Schedule an Exit Exam
The first priority for any patient who will be changing doctors is to schedule an exit exam. This will provide the final opportunity to see your doctor and have them record all relevant information about the current state of your health. You should also make sure to ask any questions you may have about your health or any medications you may be taking at this final appointment.
Request Your Medical Record
Your doctor should provide you with information about how to access your medical records once they have retired. However, you don’t necessarily need or want to wait until the actual retirement date passes and the files are transferred to their records custodian. As soon as your exit exam is complete, you may request your medical records through a service like My Retired Doctor. It is a very good idea to get a complete copy of your entire medical record at this time and keep it on hand for future reference. You may want to request an electronic copy as well as a paper copy for maximum convenience and security. Make sure all relevant records are retrieved, including records relating to current or old prescriptions, surgeries, injuries, illnesses, hospitalizations, etc.
Find a New Doctor
Finding a new doctor is of course very important for patients of retiring doctors. Your old doctor may give you a referral, or you may have to find your own candidates using the resources provided by your health plan. Either way, you should schedule a first appointment with your new doctor right away rather than waiting until you feel sick or require some kind of treatment. This will help ensure that you can get quality treatment when you do need it.
Transfer Your Medical Records
Unless you plan to stay with the same medical practice, either seeing the new doctor who’s taking over your retiring doctor’s practice or perhaps seeing one of the other partners, you’ll need to make sure your new doctor has a copy of your medical record. Because doctors and medical facilities don’t really have an easy or convenient way to share patient information, you’re often better off handling the transfer of your medical records to your new doctor yourself. You can either hand-deliver your record to your new doctor’s office, or have My Retired Doctor deliver them for you.