Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline

Frequently Asked Questions

In order to enhance our Board’s responsiveness to the needs of the general and medical communities of the State of R.I. we are compiling what we hope will be an ever expanding list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). We have divided these questions into two groups: (1) those frequently posed by members of the general public and (2) those posed by the physician community.

General Questions

Question: Where can I “check out” the credentials of my physician?

Answer: Docfinder at http://www.docboard.org/ri/df/search.htm

By state law, community members are entitled to know a physician’s medical school and dates of graduation; Graduate medical education (internship, residency or fellowship); Specialty board certification; Number of years in practice; Names of the hospitals where the physician has privileges; Appointments to medical school faculties and indication as to whether a physician has a responsibility for graduate medical education within the most recent ten years; Information regarding publications in peer-reviewed medical literature within the most recent ten years; Information regarding professional or community service activities and awards; The location of the physician's primary practice setting.

Additionally, information regarding a description of any final board disciplinary actions within the most recent ten years; A description of any final disciplinary actions by licensing boards in other states within the most recent ten years; A description of any criminal convictions for felonies within the most recent ten years. A description of revocation or restriction of hospital privileges for reasons related to competence taken by the hospital's governing body or any other official of the hospital after procedural due process has been afforded, or the resignation from or nonrenewal of medical staff membership or the restriction of privileges at a hospital; And a medical malpractice history over the most recent ten years with accompanying context for comparison should be available.

Much of this information is available through Docfinder. Much of the remainder is available upon request (preferably written) to the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.

Question: What does Board Certification mean?

Answer: Medical education can be confusing to lay people. First, when an individual completes medical school they earn their medical degree (MD or DO) and the title Doctor. They then go on to complete graduate medical education (internship, residency and/or fellowship.) This next step is called specialization or subspecialization. It is only after completing this second step of clinical training (or at least a substantial portion of this training) that a physician may apply for an independent license to practice medicine. At the completion of this second step (residency or fellowship) a physician is then eligible to take the Board certification examination. The Board certification examination is not a licensing examination; there is a separate test that must be passed prior to licensure. Rather, successful completion of the Board certification examination certifies that the physician candidate has mastered the required knowledge, attitudes and skills for that discipline of medicine.

Question: What are the requirements for retaining medical records?

Answer: Medical records must be maintained for a minimum of 5 years. For pediatric patient medical records they must also be maintained until patients reach the age of 21. Additionally, the BMLD recommends reviewing the matter with your malpractice carrier as some require 10 rather than 5 years of record retention.

Question: Does a physician have the right to charge for copies of medical records?

Answer: Yes, a physician has the right to charge a reasonable fee to offset the expense of copying a patients medical record. Currently state regulations limit this fee to $15 plus $.25 per page for the first 100 pages plus $.10 per page for additional pages. Of note, this fee structure it does not apply to physician reports for which there are no strict guidelines delineating a fee structure.

Question: Can a doctor hold back medical records if I have an outstanding bill to pay?

Answer: No, Rhode Island law and medical ethics dictate that a patients and healthcare comes first. It would be unprofessional conduct for a physician not to facilitate the transfer of medical records in this circumstance.

Question: Are electronic medical records acceptable in the State of Rhode Island?

Answer: electronic medical records are acceptable provided they are secure, HIPPA compliant full medical records, that are readily retrievable, transferable upon request, and supported by a system of regular back-up to assure record integrity in the event of a system crash. Hard copy back-up of files is not a requirement.