STHC-L: The Science, Technology and Health Care Archives Forum

RE: End of paper medical records

• Date:   Mon, 26 Jul 2004 10:41:58 -0400
• To:   sthc-l@library.ucla.edu
• From:   Daniel Sokolow <DSokolow@nshs.edu>
• Subject:   RE: End of paper medical records
• Message-ID:   6111FF215FDED311B45600508B5EF43F05A8E104@xchg2.nshs.edu

The rules can vary state-by-state, so far as I recall. There is no RM policy 
for the whole System where I am, but the facility with the most comprehensive 
rules has a 7 year retention for adult records, 22 for pediatrics for most records. 

I too keep exclusively corporate rather than medical records, but Steve N. and I 
have had conversations in the past about the value of medical records. From an RM 
perspective, a 10-year shelf life is not as much of a problem. But, as Steve has 
pointed out to me, there is archival value in medical records. Going purely 
electronic will have a decidedly negative effect on maintaining historically 
valuable medical records. Leaving aside the HIPAA problems, computerization is 
likely to keep medical records out of archives. 

There's also the problem of data migration and technological obsolescence during 
the statutory retention period to worry about (i.e., what happens if you can't 
read the records 5 years down the line, and the requirment is 10 years?) Keeping 
them is meant, I think to make sure you can actually read them. 

My nickel's worth, as always, and enough negativity for one day. 

DS

______________________________________ 
Daniel Sokolow, Archives Coordinator 
David Taylor Archives 
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System 
155 Community Drive 
Great Neck, NY 11021 
mailto:dsokolow@nshs.edu