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Can Your New Doctor Get Records Electronically?

ByBrian “Weence” Bateman

Electronic transfer may be possible, but the route and records available depend on both offices and their systems. Ask the new office what it accepts, coordinate the request with the former office, and confirm what arrived.

Your new doctor may be able to receive records electronically, but it depends on what both offices and their systems support. Ask the receiving office which secure methods it accepts, coordinate the request with the former office, and follow up to confirm what arrived.

How electronic records can move between offices

One route is provider-to-provider exchange. In a directed exchange, one healthcare professional sends information directly to another. In a query-based exchange, a provider searches for or requests information available from other providers. Whether either route is available for your two offices depends on their systems and connections; general guidance does not confirm that a particular pair of offices can exchange records. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) explains these exchange approaches.

Another route is using a patient portal or app to access or share information. Getting a copy through a portal or app is not necessarily the same as a direct provider-to-provider transfer. Ask what information or files you can obtain and whether the new office can accept them. ONC describes patient access through health information technology, but that guidance does not guarantee that one provider’s portal connects to another’s system. Read ONC’s patient access guidance.

HHS says that, under HIPAA, a person generally may request an electronic copy in a requested format when it is readily producible, subject to the rules and limits that apply. This is about access to your records from a covered entity; it does not mean the former office’s system will transfer them directly into the new office’s system. See HHS guidance on access rights and electronic record formats.

Why electronic access does not guarantee a complete transfer

In a February 2026 brief about 2024 survey findings, ONC reported that about 9 in 10 U.S. non-federal acute-care hospitals enabled patient access to health information through an API, while 7 in 10 reported standards-based APIs. These findings cover the hospitals studied, not every doctor’s office, and do not show that an app can transfer a complete chart. Read the ONC hospital API data brief.

CMS describes its Health Technology Ecosystem Interoperability Framework as a voluntary blueprint. It is context for efforts to support information sharing, not a guarantee that either of your offices participates or can send or receive particular records. See CMS’s description of the framework.

Use this three-step process

  1. Call the new office first. Ask which electronic methods it accepts and get the exact recipient name, department, contact details, and any instructions the former office needs. Ask whether the new office can request the records or whether you should submit a release form.
  2. Contact the former office. Ask how to submit its request and any authorization it requires, and how it can send the records securely. Specify which records and date range you want, following the receiving office’s instructions about what it needs.
  3. Check with the new office. Ask whether the records arrived, what was received, and whether anything is missing or could not be used in its system. If needed, contact the former office to ask about the outstanding items or another accepted delivery method.

Questions to ask and details to keep

  • “Can your office request the records electronically, or should I submit a release form?”
  • “Which portal, network, or secure delivery method do you accept?”
  • “Which records and date range should I request?”
  • “How will I know they arrived?”

Keep a copy of your request, the recipient’s contact details, the date you submitted it, and any confirmation from the receiving office. This is an organizational aid for follow-up, not a legal requirement. Ask the offices about their procedures and any fees. Applicable rules can vary by jurisdiction and situation, so confirm any rule or deadline with an appropriate source for your location rather than assuming one applies nationwide.

Sources

Editorial note: AI assists with research, drafting and automated checks. This general information does not replace advice, diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional. Sources are provided for verification; confirm details that apply to your care with your care team.

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Brian “Weence” Bateman is a health and medical writer who covers public health updates, healthcare policy, and medical developments affecting communities across the United States. He works closely with dentists and healthcare providers and focuses on making complex medical information clear, accurate, and useful for everyday readers.