How do you manage records retention and disposition schedules in healthcare?

Records management is important but in healthcare it matters more. A patients outcome negative or positive can be impacted, this is life or death stuff! I agree with another comment on this, dedicated resource should be used for this purpose, the cost of this should be baked into the overall cost of providing healthcare, it's that important. Records Management is critically important for several reasons, impacting patient care, regulatory compliance, and overall operational efficiency. One other point, the volume of paper content created in this sector would suggest a robust document capture process should be deployed. Otherwise storage costs will rise exponentially especially when you try to manage your retention policies.

Retention schedules are particularly crucial for patient records - if you have it, there is a chance it can be requested by the patient, and the older the record, the harder this becomes. For example, X-ray films often deteriorate over time and can become unreadable. Dental impressions may break down and degrade. Paper can become brittle or faded. In each case, suddenly you're faced with potential fines for not producing the requested record that you've committed to storing. Scanning paper and film records to digital ones is often costly or impractical. Even when records are born-digital, transitioning between old and new systems can cause errors in the recorded data. Over-committing to retaining records can be extremely costly!

Records retention and disposition schedules are vital for healthcare organizations as they ensure the systematic and secure management of patient information. By adhering to these schedules, organizations can minimize the risks of data breaches and legal liabilities, thereby safeguarding patient privacy. Moreover, these schedules streamline the management of physical and digital records, reducing unnecessary storage costs and optimizing space. They also facilitate efficient retrieval of information for clinical, administrative, and research purposes, enhancing overall healthcare operations.

Creating retention and disposition schedules for healthcare records involves several steps: Identify Records: Catalog all records generated or received, such as patient charts, billing statements, lab reports, and consent forms. Categorize Records: Sort records by format (paper, electronic), content (diagnostic, financial), and source (internal, external). Determine Retention Periods: Set retention periods based on laws, regulations, and business and clinical needs. Establish Disposition Methods: Define methods for disposing of each category, such as shredding, deleting, archiving, or transferring. Document and Approve: Create a written policy outlining these schedules, get management approval, and communicate to staff.

Implementing retention and disposition schedules for healthcare records requires a systematic and consistent approach: Assign Roles and Responsibilities: Designate staff responsible for records management tasks. Develop Procedures and Guidelines: Establish clear protocols for records creation, storage, access, and disposal. Provide Training and Education: Ensure staff are well-trained on the procedures and the importance of compliance. Monitor and Evaluate: Regularly assess the records management process and performance to identify areas for improvement. Update Schedules: Revise schedules as needed to stay compliant with changing laws, regulations, technologies, and business processes.

You can't really do this without technology. Essentially the complexity around retention is not just a moving feast of changing legislation but it can be different by age, location of operation, type of record. If you get this wrong there is a significant risk of penalties.

I have worked in records management for over 30 years. In that time, I have found that an organization's records management process performs best with a dedicated person, division or department; depending on the size of the organization. They should be accountable to a higher authority with a every six months to yearly process review. Organizations with no dedicated records management position will fail in its records responsibilities.