Print and Share Records

When patients need a copy of their records (for a specialist referral, insurance, or personal use), DPC Pro lets you print or export their clinical documentation.

Patients have the right to their medical records, and there are many practical reasons to share documentation: referrals to specialists, school or work forms, insurance claims, or patient requests. DPC Pro supports printing and exporting visit notes, patient summaries, and other clinical documents.

This page covers how to print individual visit notes, generate a clinical summary for a date range, and share records securely. You will also learn about formatting options and what information is included in each export type.

Record sharing respects your practice’s privacy settings and includes only the information appropriate for the intended recipient.

Print a Visit Note

You can print any visit note that has been completed or signed.

Printing from the Note Detail

1. Navigate to Clinical Notes and open the note you want to print.
2. Use your browser’s print function (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P).
3. Review the print preview to confirm the content and formatting.
4. Select Print.

What Is Included

A printed visit note contains:

• Patient header: patient name, age, MRN, and note type
• Visit metadata: visit date, author, and signing information (signer name, date, and time if signed)
• Linked visit: the visit type, date, and time if the note is linked to a scheduled visit
• Chief complaint
• Vitals: temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, SpO2, weight, and height (when recorded)
• SOAP sections: Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan content
• Diagnosis codes: ICD-10 codes attached to the note, displayed in the Assessment section
• Linked prescriptions: medication name, strength, directions, quantity, refills, and status

Amendment Information

If the note has been amended, the printed output includes:

• An amendment banner on the original note indicating it has been amended, with the amendment date
• On the amendment note, the reason for amendment and a reference to the original note

Signed Notes Recommended

For records that will be shared with other providers or used for legal or insurance purposes, print from a signed note. Signed notes include the signer’s name and timestamp, which provide verification of the document’s authenticity.

Generate a Clinical Summary

A clinical summary compiles a patient’s key clinical information across multiple visits into a single document.

Creating a Summary

To assemble a summary manually:

1. Navigate to Clinical Notes and filter by the patient’s name.
2. Use the Date Range filters (From and To fields) to limit results to the desired period.
3. Open each relevant note and print or save it.
4. From the patient record, review and print the Medical History section, which includes allergies, chronic conditions, current medications, and surgical history.

What to Include

A comprehensive clinical summary typically contains:

• Patient demographics: name, date of birth, age, and MRN
• Allergies: all recorded allergies
• Active conditions: chronic conditions from the problem list
• Current medications: standing medication list and active prescriptions
• Visit notes: signed notes from the selected date range
• Vitals trends: vitals from recent visits

Preparing for Referrals

When sending records for a specialist referral, include signed visit notes from relevant encounters, the patient’s allergy list, active medications, and the chronic conditions list. This gives the receiving provider a complete picture without unnecessary detail.

Share Records Securely

When sharing patient records, use the following practices to protect patient privacy.

Printing for In-Person Handoff

For patients who need a physical copy of their records:

1. Print the relevant visit notes and patient summary from the patient record.
2. Verify the patient’s identity before handing over documents.
3. Record the request and handoff in the patient’s practice notes.

Digital Sharing

For digital sharing of clinical documents:

1. Print the relevant notes to PDF using your browser’s Save as PDF option in the print dialog.
2. Send the PDF through a secure channel appropriate for your practice’s policies. You can also use DPC Pro’s secure messaging to share documents directly with patients.
3. Document the sharing in the patient’s record.

HIPAA Compliance

All record sharing must comply with HIPAA and your practice’s privacy policies. Do not share patient records via unencrypted email, text messages, or other unsecured channels. When in doubt, consult your practice’s privacy officer.

Patient Portal Access

Patients with portal access can view portions of their own records based on your practice’s portal configuration settings. Portal access can be configured to allow:

• Viewing health records
• Messaging providers
• Managing profile information
• Viewing billing information

Portal access settings are managed per patient from the patient record.

Patient Record Requests

When a patient or authorized representative requests their medical records, follow a consistent process.

Handling a Request

1. Verify the identity of the person making the request. For patients, confirm their name, date of birth, and other identifying information. For authorized representatives, confirm their relationship and authority.
2. Determine the scope of the request: specific visit dates, all records, or particular types of documentation.
3. Navigate to the patient’s record in DPC Pro and gather the requested materials:
   • Visit notes: filter by the requested date range in the clinical notes list.
   • Medical history: allergies, conditions, medications, and surgical history from the patient record.
   • Prescriptions: linked prescriptions from relevant visit notes.
4. Print or export the records.
5. Provide the records to the requestor.
6. Document the request, what was provided, the date, and to whom in the patient’s practice notes.

Turnaround Expectations

Most DPC practices aim to fulfill record requests within a few business days. Your practice may have its own policy for turnaround times. Communicate the expected timeline to the patient when the request is received.

Fees

DPC practices vary in whether they charge for record copies. Check your state’s regulations on permissible fees for medical record copies, and follow your practice’s policy.

Records for Transferring Patients

When a patient is transferring to another practice or provider:

1. Navigate to the patient’s record.
2. Gather a comprehensive set of records, including all signed visit notes, the current problem list, medication list, allergy list, and any relevant prescriptions.
3. Print or export the records as a package. For bulk exports, see data export for additional options.
4. Transfer the records through the appropriate secure channel.

For formal patient transfers within DPC Pro, see the patient transfer workflow for documentation of the transfer itself.

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Related Pages

• Write Visit Notes
• Problem Lists and Medications
• Patient Timeline and History
• Patient Records
• Transferring and Archiving Patients
• HIPAA Compliance

Need Help?

If you run into issues printing or sharing records, reach out to the DPC Pro support team at [email protected] or visit the troubleshooting guide.