Request from Patients for Letters Prepared by Providers

Category: Medical Records Release of Information

Date: March 2003

Reviewed/Revised: April 2013

Policy

1. When a provider receives a request from a patient to prepare a letter for any reason, that provider shall refer the patient to the office manager for completion of a Release of Information Form. (In many instances, copies of records will suffice, eliminating the need for a letter.) No letter shall ever be prepared prior to obtaining a signed release.
2. Letters shall be specifically addressed to the individual or the entity identified by the patient on the Release of Information Form. “To Whom It May Concern” is non-specific and shall not be used.