ABC HOSPITAL

By: Courtney Gatto

Employee Policy and Procedure Acknowledgement Form

Policies for Retention and Destruction of Health Records
1. Follow the recommended retention period for different health information documents. In accordance to
your state regulations. Our state regulation as follows:
a. Diagnostic images (X-ray film) kept for 5 years.
b. Disease index kept for 10 years.
c.

Fetal hear monitor records kept for 10 years after the infant reaches the age of majority.

d. Master patient/person index kept permanently.

e. Operative index kept for 10 years.
f.

Patient health/medical records (adults) kept for 10 years after the most recent encounter.

g. Patient health/medical records (minors) kept until age of majority plus statute of limitations.
h. Physician index kept for 10 years.
i.

Register of births, deaths, and surgical procedures kept permanently.

2. The destruction of patient-identifiable clinical documentation should be carried out in accordance with
relevant federal and state regulations and organizational policy, such as e-discovery.
3. Follow specific requirements for the method of destruction. According to AHIMA practice standards,
acceptable destruction methods include the following:
a. Paper documents: burning, shredding, pulping, or pulverizing
b. Micrographic film: recycling or pulverizing
c.

CD or optical disks: shredding or pulverizing

d. Electronic documents: magnetic degaussing (demagnetizing)

e. Magnetic tapes: Magnetic degaussing or zeroization process. (Writing repeated sequences of
ones and zeros over the information)
4. Appropriate documentation of health record destruction must be maintained permanently no matter how
the process is carried out.
a. This documentation takes form of a certificate of destruction, which should include the following
details:
i. Date of destruction

ii. Method of destruction

iii. Description of the disposed record series of numbers or items
iv. Inclusive dates covered
v. A statement that the records were destroyed in the normal course of business
vi. The signatures of the individuals supervising and witnessing the destruction
5. Always follow these policies directly, if any questions or concerns contact supervising manager.

Employee Information
Employee Name:

Date:

Employee ID:

Department:

E-Mail Address:

Employee Signature:

For Human Resources Use Only

Date Received:

HR Personnel: