How should a dental office handle a patient's request for a copy of their records?

In this scenario, charging a fee for preparation and copying of the patient's dental records is the correct procedure. According to California law, patients have the right to access their own health records, including dental records, but providers are allowed to charge a reasonable fee for the costs associated with preparing and duplicating the records. This fee can cover costs such as printing and copying, as well as any administrative labor involved in retrieving and preparing the documentation.

This approach balances the patient's right to access their information with the dental office's need to recoup costs associated with record management. In most situations, the fee should be disclosed to the patient upfront, and typically, the cost must be reasonable and not prohibitive to the patient accessing their own information.

While providing the records at no charge seems like a patient-friendly option, it does not account for the actual expenses incurred by the dental practice in maintaining and copying those records. Therefore, the dental office rightly implements a fee structure to ensure that their operational costs are covered.

It's essential for dental offices to be transparent about their policies regarding record requests and maintain compliance with state laws in order to protect both the patient's rights and the practice’s financial integrity.