A family moving house, braces on
A family relocates and their child is halfway through treatment. They ring your practice asking to continue there. The orthodontist needs the records, the treatment plan, recent photos and scans, and details of the appliance. The family wants to know what it will cost to finish.
The previous practice is asked for records by email. Some arrive, some do not. The fee question is uncertain. The family is booked for an assessment before the records have arrived, and the appointment is spent on discovery.
Outgoing transfers have the same problem in reverse: another practice asks for records, and the request sits in an inbox.
Transfers from abroad are harder still. Families may arrive with records in another language or format, a different appliance system and a plan written to different conventions. The orthodontist needs time with those records before the family can be told anything useful.
Why transfers are messy
- Records come in different formats from different systems.
- Some items are missed and not requested again.
- The fee position for finishing treatment is unclear to the family.
- Nobody owns the transfer checklist.
- Outgoing record requests compete with daily work.
What messy transfers cost
Assessment appointments spent chasing information. Families uncertain about costs, which sours the start of the relationship. Outgoing requests delayed, which reflects on your practice with colleagues. And patients whose treatment pauses while paperwork catches up.
Transfers also raise questions about money already paid. A family who paid much of their fee to the previous practice will want to know what finishing will cost before committing. When the fee position is worked out case by case with no record of how, similar families can be quoted differently.
The transfer workflow we build
- An incoming transfer record is created when the family enquires, with the other practice's details.
- A request for records is sent from your template, listing the items your orthodontists need, and each item is tracked as received or outstanding.
- Records received are filed against the patient, and outstanding items are chased automatically on a schedule.
- Once the orthodontist confirms the records are enough, the assessment appointment is booked.
- The fee position is recorded after assessment, and a document for the family to sign is prepared from your templates.
- Outgoing requests from other practices are logged, the records pack is prepared from your systems and sent securely, and completion is recorded.
| Transfer item | Incoming | Outgoing |
|---|---|---|
| Records request | Sent and tracked | Logged when received |
| Clinical records | Filed as received | Pack prepared and sent |
| Fee position | Recorded and agreed | Final account noted |
| First appointment | Booked when records ready | Not applicable |
Clinical assessment and any fee arrangement for completing treatment are decisions for your orthodontists and practice.
Transfers with a clear path
Families have clarity about records and fees early. Assessments happen with the information needed. Outgoing requests are handled promptly, which colleagues notice. And nothing depends on remembering to chase.
For outgoing transfers, the practice can produce a final account and a summary letter for the receiving orthodontist from the same records, so the family leaves with everything in order. Colleagues at other practices notice when records arrive complete and promptly.
The practice also gets a record of how many patients transfer in and out, and why, which is useful when planning capacity in an area where families move often, such as near universities or large employers.
Does this describe your transfers?
- Transfer patients arrive before their records.
- Records requests are not followed up.
- Families are unsure what finishing treatment will cost.
- Outgoing record requests are delayed.