How to Fax Medical Records to Another Doctor
A practical way to verify the receiving clinic, prepare a focused records packet, and fax medical information with reasonable safeguards.
Medical records are still commonly faxed between clinics. HIPAA does not prohibit faxing patient information for treatment, but providers should use reasonable safeguards, and patients should verify where the records are going.
If you are requesting a transfer yourself, the clinic that holds the records may require its own authorization form. Start there before creating a fax packet on your own.
Verify the receiving office
Call the new doctor’s office using a number from its official website, patient portal, or appointment paperwork. Ask for the records fax number, the department or clinician name, and any patient reference it wants on the cover page.
Read the number back. A single wrong digit can send sensitive information to the wrong endpoint.
Send only the records that are needed
Ask the receiving clinician what will be useful. A complete lifetime chart may be unnecessary when the new provider needs only recent laboratory results, imaging reports, medication history, and notes related to one condition.
Additional federal or state confidentiality rules may apply to some records, including certain substance use treatment records and psychotherapy notes. The records office should review the authorization and any requirements that apply in your jurisdiction.
Build a confidential packet
- Use the provider’s release form when required.
- Address the cover sheet to a named person or records department.
- Include the patient’s name, date of birth, contact number, and total pages only where necessary.
- Add a callback number in case pages are missing.
- Arrange the records chronologically or by category.
- Preview every page for readability and accidental extras.
- Fax once and store the confirmation securely.
Avoid putting diagnoses or detailed medical information on the cover sheet. It may be seen before the packet reaches the clinical team.
Confirm receipt
Call the receiving office after a reasonable interval and ask whether the complete packet was attached to the patient’s chart. A delivery report means the receiving fax system answered. It does not prove that staff routed every page correctly.
The US Department of Health and Human Services confirms that providers may fax information for treatment when they apply safeguards such as checking the number and using secure locations.
Source checked against HHS guidance on faxing patient information between physicians. The holding provider's authorization process and applicable state law still apply.
