Keeping files

[c@leb77]

Does any one know how long a practice has to keep patient records on file for before shredding? (Georgia)

[Chris Ryser]

Does any one know how long a practice has to keep patient records on file for before shredding? (Georgia)

How Long Does My Provider Have to Keep My Medical Record?State law requires many health care providers to keep your medical record for a certain period of time. For example, Georgia hospitals must keep most medical records for at least 5 years after the date that you were discharged from the hospital. Medical records for Medicare beneficiaries, and some diagnostic test reports, must be kept for 6 and sometimes 7 years. Most other health care providers (except hospitals) generally must keep your medical record for at least 10 years from the date the record was created. In practice, many health care providers keep their medical records longer.
You have a right to see, get a copy of, and amend your medical record for as long as your health care provider has it.

http://www.hpi.georgetown.edu/privac.../gaguide2.html

[Uncle Fester]

I heard an authority on the radio the other day say 7 years for most any record.

[chip anderson]

Actually it depends on whether they are concidered to be medical records or optical sales records. Seven years for the former, 5 for the later. However in most cases you are fairly safe in disposing them after five years if you haven't had any contact with the patient/customer in that period.
Of course you must dispose of them in such a way that the Hipaa Police can't decipher them in the future.

Chip