Outside records arrive but no one owns the next step
Clarify ownership and the expected next handoff before creating more work.
External records
Epic Outside Records Routing: Workflow Guide
A safe operational framework for routing outside records to the correct receiving team without sharing patient information with HelpEpic.
What this often looks like
Common symptoms
Documents are saved in inconsistent locations
Clarify ownership and the expected next handoff before creating more work.
Referral and records teams assume the other team is following up
Clarify ownership and the expected next handoff before creating more work.
Staff make duplicate copies to improve visibility
Clarify ownership and the expected next handoff before creating more work.
First checks
Work through these before escalating blindly.
- Identify the incoming record type
- Confirm the organization-approved destination
- Name the receiving team responsible for acknowledgement or follow-up
- Separate storage, review and follow-up into distinct ownership steps
- Document an exception route for records that cannot be classified normally
Ownership questions
- Who receives the outside record?
- Who is responsible for reviewing or processing it?
- Who owns follow-up when it is tied to a referral?
- Who handles records that arrive through the wrong channel?
Avoid making the problem worse
Do not use a workaround as the default process.
- Uploading patient records to HelpEpic
- Creating duplicate copies as a routing strategy
- Using unapproved storage locations
- Changing release-of-information or privacy processes without authorization
Security and privacy boundary. Do not send HelpEpic patient names, DOBs, MRNs, insurance identifiers, screenshots, records, passwords, tokens or other confidential information. Access, outages, security incidents, protected configuration changes and patient-specific clinical decisions belong with your organization’s authorized teams.
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