Short Answer
Despite being phased out under 2025 privacy regulations, the fax machine remains the de facto standard for inter-clinic data transfer during the current transition period.
While digital patient records are expanding, clinics heavily rely on this technology to satisfy strict data privacy frameworks without risking unencrypted networks.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You assumed your new specialist could simply request your historical laboratory blood panels via email from your previous general practitioner. The clinic refused your request due to data protection compliance regulations, forcing you to delay a critical diagnostic consultation by three weeks while waiting for standard postal delivery. You lost €120 in redundant private laboratory re-testing fees because you didn't know that asking your GP to send a quick transmission to the specialist's "Faxnummer" would have solved the problem instantly.
What To Do
- Ask the receiving clinic for their direct, dedicated "Faxnummer" at the time of booking.
- Email or call your previous doctor to request that they transmit your data file to that specific number.
- "Können Sie meine Befunde per Fax an diese Praxis senden?" (Can you send my reports via fax to this practice?) — Ask your doctor's assistant to initiate the immediate transfer.
The Truth
Germany is phasing out fax under new privacy laws, but the transition is incomplete. Most clinics still rely on it as the path of least resistance, and knowing the fax number gets your records moved faster than any digital alternative in 2026.