Are You Planning to Retire or Close Your Medical Practice?

If you’re considering retiring or closing your practice and you’re concerned about what to do with medical records afterwards, consider partnering with a medical records custodian.

What is a Medical Records Custodian?

A medical records custodian is responsible for all aspects of preserving and managing health information records. By default, the custodian is the physician in charge of the records during the practice’s operating years, or the executor of the physician’s will. Prior to closure, physicians can engage records custodianship services from companies like Cariend as an alternative. These services are tailored to the physician or practice’s specific records and needs, covering the entire scope of medical records custodianship.


Why Choose Cariend as Your Health Information Custodian?

Partnering with Cariend for your medical records custodianship needs means putting your records in trusted hands, ensuring you can leave the practice free from worry over whether you can produce a record in the event it’s needed, and the expense of maintaining secure storage of hardcopy and digital records on your own.

We strive to provide the best experience possible to both physicians and patients. Our aim is to take the stress off physicians and medical practices to efficiently meet the legal requirements for document retention, and to give patients efficient, secure, and free access to the medical records.

Medical records custodianship with Cariend ensures continuity of care for patients at new practices. After records have been transferred, Cariend offers former patients and clientele convenient and secure access through our online patient interface.

Outsourcing medical records custodianship with Cariend gives retiring physicians and practitioners a chance to enjoy a well-earned retirement or other new endeavors without worrying about their obligations for patient access to records for years after they stop practicing.

It also means peace of mind – granted by the years of experience and knowledge of medical industry retention standards provided by the team at Cariend, ensuring that you stay compliant with all state, local and federal laws governing retention requirements.

Security

We take security seriously. All records will be stored in a secure, PRISM Privacy+ certified facility (the RIM industry’s highest standard)

Compliance

With 30+ years of combined experience, we will ensure all HIPAA, federal and state laws, and industry best practices for managing confidential health records are followed.

Patient Care

Patient records requests will be answered in a prompt, secure manner.

Effortless On-Boarding

We’re here to help you plan and execute the transition every step of the way.

Cariend Makes It Easy!

Secure, quick transfer of records

Knowledgeable Release of Information team

Assistance in patient notifications

Secure, HIPAA compliant destruction

6 Simple Steps to Peace of Mind

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Gather information
First, we learn about your practice, and talk about retention and notification requirements based on your State and practice location. We’ll talk about whether you have hardcopy or digital records, their volume, and storage methods.
Propose a solution
Using the information you provide, Cariend will propose a comprehensive solution tailored to your specific needs. This proposal will provide one upfront cost that anticipates the initial transition, management until all records meet their retention, patient access to records, and end of life destruction.
Transfer records custody
After signing an agreement, Cariend will consolidate the physical records in our secure storage facilities, and we’ll customize a conversion for all electronic records.
Notify patients
Next, you’ll meet our knowledgeable Release of Information team. They’ll walk you through the patient notification process, providing guidance for notification requirements for your state, and sharing best practices to meet those requirements.
Release of information
Congratulations! You no longer need to worry about your records. Cariend will handle everything for you from here on out. All patients will contact us directly for their medical records.
Secure destruction
Once a given record’s retention is met, Cariend will destroy it in a HIPAA compliant manner.

Medical Records Requests

Patients request records directly from Cariend and receive digital records through encrypted channels that protect their information, in accordance with HIPAA. Medical records custodianship through Cariend ensures that patients continue to receive the high level of care and attention they expect, even after a practice closes.

I am retiring or closing my medical practice. What do I do now?

After you’ve decided to retire or close your medical practice, you should make a plan for patient notification, retention based on State and Federal requirements, and release of information directly to patients. You can transfer responsibility of your records to Cariend so that you will be free from legal obligations and future medical records requests. Contact us so we can help you with this important transition.

How can Cariend help me?

Transferring responsibility to a health information custodian reduces risk and cost, allowing you to wind down your practice with no ongoing cost of management.

How are patients notified?

Once you decide to transfer your responsibility for patient records to a custodian of medical records, patients should be notified that they can choose a physician or another provider, and receive a copy of their records or have their records transferred to their next provider. When you choose Cariend as your health information custodian, we will provide you with guidance on how to the notification requirements in your state, and best practices for notifying your patients. See here* for more guidance on your state. (Link to interactive map that we will create*)

How long do medical records need to be kept?

Each state has its own guidelines for medical records retention. See here* for more guidance on your state. (Link to interactive map that we will create*)

Are my medical records secure and HIPAA compliant?

Absolutely! We take security very seriously here at Cariend. We believe that your records represent your practice’s legacy and deserve the best possible treatment. All records will be stored in a secure, PRISM Privacy+ -rated facility (the RIM industry’s highest standard) per HIPAA standards.

How will patients contact Cariend?

When notifying patients, you will provide directions on how to access our records requests page. If they have any issues, questions, or concerns, our support team will guide them through the release of information process.