Question 1

Why is it important that I have a copy of my medical record?

Accepted Answer

Your Physician relies on your full medical history in order to make key clinical decisions for your patient care.  If your physician or healthcare Provider does not have that physical record, there could be vital information that puts you as a patient at risk.  This is especially true when your physician has retired or closed their practice and you are now under the care of a new healthcare provider that does not have any history on your past medical information.  
 
It should be your priority to ensure that your new healthcare provider have a complete history of your past medical information by providing them with your medical record from your previous physician.  Most physicians will not take you on as a new patient without your historical medical record and you 'should' be concerned if your new healthcare provider does not have such information.

Question 2

Do I have to pay for a digital or paper copy of my medical records?

Accepted Answer

Yes.  Records Access Services Canada, Inc. will charge fees for the service of digitizing, copying and transferring of patient records.  All fees are non-prohibitive and payable to Records Access Services Canada, Inc. and are consistent with the fees set by the OMA. By following OMA guidlines, the average chart could cost well over $100 however RASCI has set a flat fee price along with special discounts for Seniors and Families.
 
Your family physician is not involved in this process at any time.  Payment for the fee will be your responsibility.

Question 3

If I let my new Physician request the medical record, will there still be a fee?"

Accepted Answer

Yes.  Even though your new Physician makes the record request, you will still be responsible to pay for the fee associated in processing the transfer of your medical record.  We have set out a convenient flat fee rate with special rates for families and seniors.  Considering that if you had to go to your neighbourhood photocopy store, you would be charged from $0.35 to $0.40 a page to photocopy your record, our fee is quite reasonable.

Question 4

How do I make a request for my medical record?

Accepted Answer

You can make a medical record request online by clicking on the green "record request" button for Patients.  This will lead you to our online Medical Request page where you can fill out the information online, including signing your name with an e-Signature.  When complete, click on the submit button.  If there is any information that was missing, it will be highlighted in red.  All this from the comfort of your own home.
 
Once you have submitted your medical authorization form, RASCI will scan, combine and prepare a digital or paper copy of your medical records for you.
 
Alternatively you can also download our Medical Authorization form, fill it out and either mail it to us or fax it.  If you are able to scan a copy, email it to info@rasci.ca.  Please do not forget to include an email address on your medical authorization form.  The process time of obtaining a medical record is increased without an email address.

Question 5

Is it safe and secure to make my medical record request online?

Accepted Answer

Yes!  RASCi is HIPAA Compliance Certified and complies with strict security requirements. Your medical record will never be attached to any email RASCi sends you but rather you will receive an email notification sent to you via SecureLine Escrow which is an "End-to-End email encryption for secure communications"  ensuring that your data has been protected throughout its delivery to you.  When you are completing our online form page, you may click on our certification seal to learn about our secure services.

Question 6

I know that your site and service is secure but I do not want to fill an online Form.  Where do I obtain a copy of a Medical Authorization Form so that I can fax it to you?

Accepted Answer

You can obtain a copy of the Medial Authorization Release Form directly from our website by going to the FORMS page and clicking on “Medical Authorization Form”.  This will open up a new window with the Form you need.  From here you can print this directly to your printer, complete the form and fax it to our convenient toll free fax number.

Question 7

Do I need to have my signature witnessed on the Medical Authorization Form?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you will need to have your signature witnessed along with the printed name.  A witness can also be a family member.

Question 8

I have received an email notification that my medical record is ready, what do I do now?"

Accepted Answer

Once you have received a notification that your record is ready, click on the link "Read Your Secure Email Message".  This will lead you to a secure online link where you will be required to use your 10 digit numerical OHIP or Health # as your password that you provided us on your medical request and authorization form.  
 
When you have entered your password, scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find a PDF file that is your medical record.  Download this to your desktop as soon as you can as the link will expire for security reasons.  Once you have downloaded it, your medical record will never expire.  You can print it, save it to a USB stick and bring it to your family physician yourself on your next appointment.

Question 9

I do not have a scanner and can not scan and upload my signed Medical Authorization Form.  What do I do?

Accepted Answer

If you do not have access to a scanner, you may also fax your signed authorization form toll free to 800-928-2503.  RASCi prefers for you to use our online Request Form & Authorization where you can complete the request in full online without having to print, upload or fax any forms.

Question 10

Do I have a right to access my medical record?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Canadians have a legal right  to access and obtain a copy of their personal Health Information and Medical Record.  The Personal Health Information Privacy Act was passed in 2004.

Question 11

Why can’t you just email me my record?

Accepted Answer

In order to stay compliant with the Personal Information Protection And Electronic Act (PIPEDA), we are unable to simply email your records to you or send by e-fax.  Our files are uploaded to a secure link on our servers where you are then able to safely download your record directly to your desktop.  The alternative is to have your record mailed to you but this would incur extra printing and mailing fees.

Question 12

If my medical record is my property, why do I have to pay for it?"

Accepted Answer

The information recorded in a medical chart belongs to you as the Patient, however the physical record belongs to the organization or person (physician or hospital) that created the record.  The fees associated in accessing or transferring your medical record pertains to the administrative & custodian costs in retrieving your file and preparing them for transfer.  Other associated costs may include photocopy expense, scanning expense mailing and expedite fees.  Generally the cost associated in retrieving a record is simply the administrative & custodian fees and a per page scanning fee.  There are no delivery or photocopy fees if the record is transferred through our secure online server.  Considering that if you had to go to your neighbourhood photocopy store, you would be charged from $0.35 to $0.40 a page to photocopy your record.

Question 13

Can you transfer my Medical Record directly to my doctor?

Accepted Answer

Yes we can, but we would still need a signed medical authorization form from you to do so.  Even if we send a copy of your file to your physician, we suggest that you get a copy for yourself as well.  You will only be billed once.

Question 14

Can I forward my Medical Record directly to my doctor myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes you can, but you will need to do so before your message expires (30 days).  You will also need to let your Physician know that your password is the 10 digit numerical OHIP or Health # that you used when you submitted your medical record request.

Question 15

How long do I have to download my medical record once I have received your notice?

Accepted Answer

You have 30 days to download your medical record from the day that you received your notice that your record is ready for download.  If for some reason you are unable to do so within this time or require an extension, please let us know by clicking on the support email provided in your email notification.

Question 16

I am having problems reading my PDF file

Accepted Answer

Some users report that they have a problem reading their PDF file and they receive an error code: 
 
There was a problem reading this document error 15 
 
To resolve this problem, please make sure of the following:
 
1. Make sure you have saved the document locally to your desktop or a folder on yout computer
2. Make sure you have an up to date version of PDF
3. Can you open other PDF files with your computer?
4. Have you tried open the document in Preview mode?
5. Were you trying to extract some pages and you then received this error?
6. Have you tried to download this file again from our server?

Question 17

Do you have a service that allows me to store my medical information?

Accepted Answer

We will soon be launching a medical record APP that will allow you to store your medical record along with other important personal medical information.  We will be sending our users an email notification as to when this will be available.

Question 18

How do RASCi's fees compare?

Accepted Answer

RASCi's fees for processing a transfer are actually lower than what a physician would have charged had you transferred your chart prior to your physician retiring or closing his/her practice.  Also note that it typically takes 2-3 months for a typical practice to fulfill a chart request whereas RASCI's turnaround time is much less.  Should you require a rush expedited 48 Hr. request (extra fee of $25.00), you can check off this service on our online form.

Question 19

I do not have a PDF Reader to open my medical record

Accepted Answer

Your medical record is in a PDF format file.  if you do not have an up to date version of a PDF reader, then please use this link to download one or make sure that PDF reader is your default program to read your medical record.
 
https://get2.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/

Question 20

Do I need to have a family doctor request my medical record?

Accepted Answer

No.  You can get a copy of your medical record yourself.  However when you do obtain your medical record, it is advisable that you get a copy to your physician as well.

Question 21

How can I find a new family doctor?

Accepted Answer

In addition to the resources that we have posted on our website under our "Doctor Search" tab, you can also speak with friends and other family members for referral.  You may also locate Family Physicians practicing in your area by consulting the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) website (https://doctors.cpso.on.ca/?search=general).  You will need to contact each office to see if they are accepting new patients.  Finally, you can contact Health Care Connect. This service provided by the Ministry of Health will help you find a new Family Physician in your area.  Their telephone number is 800-445-1822.  You will onlly be able to register with them if your physician has closed their practice.

Question 22

I do not want a copy of medical record, what will happen to my record?"

Accepted Answer

If your physician has ceased their practice, they have the option to authorize to have your medical record destroyed after 2 years after you have been notified that you can obtain your medical records or transfer them to anothet physician.

Frequently asked questions