How To Deal With Medical Records When Closing a Practice

When a practice decides to close its doors, especially after decades of serving the community, the list of things to do can feel endless. From accounts receivables to handling staff, there is a lot of pressure to take care of business strategically and efficiently. One particular item to manage with the utmost of care is the practice’s medical records. Whether in paper format or electronic format, the practice is responsible for making appropriate arrangements for its medical records according to state law.

While a closing medical practice needs to think about their healthcare records immediately, the reality is that all healthcare organizations should have a legacy data management strategy in place. Retaining records appropriately is paramount to ensuring orderly and ongoing patient care.

Unfortunately, physicians are often left confused and overwhelmed by the requirements, as there is no clear regulations that outline the exact length of time medical records must be maintained. Pairing a patchwork of federal, state, and medical board laws and statutes with paper records creates a tremendously cumbersome and expensive issue for practices across the country.

On the flip side, the transition to EHRs has alleviated much of the confusion while keeping costs down and work minimized. Storing medical records electronically means greater accessibility, enhanced storage capacity, and overall better means to navigate the documents. Still, the stringent requirements that come with retaining EHRs is vast.

From EHR data migration to EHR data archiving, the value of proper EHR conversion is immeasurable. Today, we go over some of the more critical steps to handling these records when a practice plans to close.

Securing EHRs When a Practice or Hospital Closes

When the final decision to close a healthcare practice or hospital is made, the planning of medical records management must start right away. Generally speaking, the EHRs must be either transferred to another healthcare provider or archived with a reputable storage company. In addition, patients must be notified of the situation and ideally given the opportunity to obtain a copy of their health information.

The list of tasks to be completed in relation to closing a medical practice or hospital is sizeable and getting it all done accurately and timely requires meticulous planning. The following are some of the most essential tasks to perform:

• Work with an Attorney: medical record retention and medial record disposal laws are complex and vary by state. Getting legal advice and guidance is crucial to ensuring that all of the compliance bases are covered.
• Carefully Assess State Law: medical doctors and hospitals have varying requirements of years to retain medical records based upon the state in which the organization operates. Be sure to thoroughly review your state’s laws as well as Medicare and Medicaid requirements.
• Look Into an EHR Data Archive: much more cost effective than a legacy system, data archiving will help to standardize the records in a database where it will be accessible and in compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Find a Trustworthy EHR data conversion partner: the process of closing a practice or hospital is complex, so connecting with the right people will ensure that a data management plan is created with strategy and efficiency.

From HIPAA requirements to safe storage, the ability to safeguard EHRs when a medical practice closes is invaluable. If your practice is considering closing, the time to start planning is now.

MDH Insight is proud to offer EHR data archiving to healthcare organizations both large and small. Our team of data experts meticulously safeguard your legacy EHR data with diligence and care. Get started today with a free EHR system assessment!