How Do Veterinary Clinics Share Medical Records Between Practices?

Most veterinary clinics export patient records as PDF files from their practice management system (Cornerstone, AVImark, eVetPractice, Shepherd, etc.) and share them via email, fax, or secure file transfer.

The challenge is that the receiving clinic then has to read through the entire PDF to understand the patient's history. Different systems format records differently, making it even harder to quickly parse the information.

Common Methods of Record Sharing

• Email with PDF attachment — The most common method. Records are exported from the PMS and emailed to the receiving clinic. Simple but raises data security concerns with unencrypted email.
• Fax — Still surprisingly common in veterinary medicine. Results in lower-quality scanned documents that are harder to read and search.
• Secure file transfer portals — Some larger practices and specialty hospitals use encrypted file sharing platforms.
• Cloud-based PMS sharing — Newer systems like Shepherd and some cloud-based platforms allow direct record sharing between practices on the same platform.
• Physical copies — In some cases, owners bring printed records to the new practice.

The Format Problem

Every practice management system exports records differently. A Cornerstone PDF looks nothing like an AVImark export. This means the receiving vet can't just "know where to look"—they have to learn the format of each new record they receive.

Tools like VetRecap AI can instantly summarize these transferred records regardless of the source format, so the receiving vet gets up to speed quickly whether the record came from Cornerstone, AVImark, eVetPractice, or any other system.