Doctor retiring - what happens to our medical files?

[Evianers]

To all of you who might know the answer to the question what happens to your private medical files when your GP retires, thanks in advance for a detailed answer.

But wait, there is worse .......

OH has relied upon the above for his annual post-nasties PSA blood check ordonnance for his urologist, to whom we were referred by the GP of course. File still on GP's lap-top.

Then our marvellous opthalmologist, who comes a-visiting from Germany to treat we locals, is also no longer able to come 4 times per annum because her French partner is retiring.

Not to mention my on-going severe osteoporosis......

All this confidential information! We are desperately trying to find an alternative GP but as these are thin on the ground, and totally overloaded due to massive construction in these parts, we actually wonder whether the retiring GP needs to hand over the files on 31/12 to the new GP.

Perhaps you know the answer Norman H?

In any case, many thanks for pertinent information and yes, it is Sheila who is writing this...

[woolybanana]

Thus far I have had one doc die on me and left another when I changed regions. In both cases I was given my medical records in paper form which I then handed to the next (and current) doc.

He scanned what he wanted into his computer and binned the paper version. Presumably he could have received my records from my last doc by email but this was unlikely as I hadn’t found a the new doc at that point.

Actually finding the new doc was a little stressful as one health centre was not taking new patients. Fortunately however a new centre was being opened with several doctors. I was directed to a new one, rather dynamic, keen on good patient rapport and not too bossy.

[NormanH]

As often there will be different experiences of this.

In my case my Generalist is in a medical centre that keeps all my records on the IT  system, so every year I ask for an updated copy of my file (dossier) to be put on a USB that I keep.

If there  are only paper records I am not sure I am afraid, but in France' the records are your property and you have a right to them

This may help if you need to get access:

https://droit-finances.commentcamarche.com/faq/3124-demande-de-dossier-medical-modele-de-lettre

or this:

https://sante-medecine.journaldesfemmes.fr/faq/5567-comment-obtenir-son-dossier-medical

In both cases you will have to use google tranlate I'm afraid

[Evianers]

Super guys - thank you very much!!

We knew we could rely upon you [both] for intelligent and fulsome answers.[:D]

[nomoss]

May be of some use:

[url]www.ameli.fr/assure/actualites/dossier-medical-partage-dmp-la-memoire-de-votre-sante[/url]

[mint]

Thank you, nm, for that most interesting link.

[NormanH]

The DMP is a rather limited version of your records which you put together with a medical person or pharmacist etc.

https://www.dmp.fr/

It is supposed to be starting to be rolled out from Monday and I contacted Ameli  a couple of weeks ago to get them to send me the  necessary by post (they insist on that)

Ce code à 12 caractères vous a été envoyé par mail ou par courrier pour la création de votre DMP.

https://www.dmp.fr/patient/creation/etape1

It isn't a full record but will be useful if you go to Hospital or to a new Specialist.

https://www.dmp.fr/patient/je-decouvre#Le-DMP-qu-est-ce-que-c-est

I would still reckon to keep my whole file myself, and have also asked for my records from the ICM (Cancer)

It may not be available for everybody

Ce service de création du DMP en ligne est disponible uniquement pour

les assurés majeurs des régimes suivants : Régime Général, Cavimac,

ENIM, MGP, MNH, Solsantis, Harmonie Fonction Publique, CANSSM, LMDE,

CAMIEG, Interiale.

[Judith]

Yes, I had an email from Ameli about this new service.  Being the slight pessimist where newly introduced computer systems are concerned, I decided I'd wait until it had time to bed down (sorry, no pun intended), and see how it all developed before I signed up.

[idun]

Don't you get copies of all your results to keep at home????

I realise that xrays will now be electronic these days, but lab results etc????

[mint]

Id, I have all my own x rays; I was told that they have no electronic storage (small x ray unit).  I even have all the x rays done in the hospital, including the scintigraphie.

When I saw my cancer chap a couple of weeks ago, he studied my most recent x ray with great interest and took a long time looking at them before he read the radiologist's report.  I thought that was good because it showed me that he was forming his own opinion first before checking with the opinion of someone else.  TBH, I was suitably impressed!

[Evianers]

Going off at a tangent slightly, our thoughts go out to all those who have kindly responded who have been at one time or another suffering from The Big Nasties - seems like quite a number, as we have too. On a positive note, thank goodness we are all taken care of under the excellent facilities in LBF - we do wonder if similar care would be taken under the good ole NHS[8-)]

[NormanH]

Lab results (for mine anyway) are available on-line and I can download them.

The same now goes for such things as x-rays, scans and ultra-sound done at the clinic In Béziers where both Judith and I have been operated.

On the other hand if they are not downloaded they are not kept available on the server for ever. I think it is 6 months for the lab.

[woolybanana]

Yes, I have pretty well all my records and test results somewhere or other and can also download lab reports.

As an aside, Norman, the word ‘operated’ standing alone in your last message sounds all wrong, shouldn’t it be ‘ operated on’ or ‘ had our operations’ ?

[mint]

Wools, how do you know that they haven't "operated" as something or other?  Operated as spies, guinea pigs, undercover inspectors (like they have for michelin starred restos)?

Norman and Judith, please don't take offence or notice:  it's just Woolly and me being bored on a wet and dreary Sunday.

[NormanH]

Sorry ..franglais

j'ai été opéré

is of course French[8-)]

[woolybanana]

Not wet, just grey, Nimt, and am cleaning house as I have a visitor coming to celebrate a joint event, with big resto and pressies!

And yes, Norman, I often have to check whether I am in Franglais or nor.

[Judith]

Nice ti be "quoted" Mint and NormanH.  If you do keep a copy of your results that you give to your doctor etc, as I do, either in hard copy, or electronic, at least you have something.

We had the same problem with doctor "disappearing" rather than retiring.  I managed to get my paperwork from the centre where he last worked, but as that had been less than a year, and had no info from our previous 10 or 13 years with him, when he worked alone, we can only use our own records. 

It's a nuisance, indeed, but your own record keeping would at least be a start.