Alabama Medical Record Retention Laws & Finding a Medical Records Custodian in Alabama

If you’re getting ready to close your Alabama medical practice, it’s important to have a clear understanding of medical record retention laws and that you find a professional medical records custodian that you can trust to fulfill records requests after you retire or move on to a different job. Looking for a trusted medical records custodian in Alabama can be a challenging task. You need to ensure top quality, accuracy, and trusted service.

Desert River Solutions is a leading medical records custodian that provides electronic medical records extraction and document scanning services for medical and dental practices, hospitals, and related businesses. Our medical record management process and medical record storage facilities are HIPAA compliant. We are medical record management experts who convert paper records to electronic forms and assist with electronic health record (EHR) extraction at large volumes turnaround.

Not sure how to handle Alabama medical record retention legal requirements after closing your practice? Read on for more information about laws and hiring a custodian of medical records or contact us to learn more today.

Alabama Medical Records Retention Laws

Alabama Laws for Minors’ Medical Record Retention

Providers: 

Medical records of minors shall be retained for a period of not less than one (1) year after the minor reaches the age of majority or ten (10) years from the date of the physician’s and/or other providers within his or her practice last professional contact with the patient, whichever is longer.

Hospitals: 

Medical records shall be preserved, either in the original or by microfilm for a period of not less than five years following the most recent discharge, or three years after the patient becomes of age.

Alabama Laws for Adults’ Medical Record Retention

Providers:

Medical records should be maintained by the treating physician for such period as may be necessary to treat the patient and for such additional time as may be required for medical-legal purposes.

Hospitals:

Medical records shall be preserved, either in the original or by microfilm for a period of not less than five years following the most recent discharge, or three years after the patient becomes of age.

Alabama Medical Facility Closure Guidelines

There is no specific time for patient notifications. When a physician retires, terminates employment or otherwise leaves a medical practice, he or she is responsible for ensuring that active patients receive reasonable notification and are given the opportunity to arrange for the transfer of their medical records.

For more information, visit the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners.

Other Laws in Alabama Related to Medical Record Retention

Retention of Medical Records. Medical records shall be retained for a period of not less than five (5) years from the physician’s and/or other providers within his or her practice last professional contact with the patient except for the following:

  1. Immunization records which have not been transmitted to the immunization registry maintained by the State Board of Health shall be retained for a period of not less than one (1) year after the minor reaches the age of majority or ten years from the date of the physician’s and/or other providers within his or her practice last professional contact with the patient, whichever is longer;
  2. X-rays, radiographs and other imaging products shall be retained for at least five (5) years after which if there exist separate interpretive records thereof, they may be destroyed. However, mammography imaging and reports shall be maintained for ten (10) years;
  3. Medical records of minors shall be retained for a period of not less than one (1) year after the minor reaches the age of majority or ten (10) years from the date of the physician’s and/or other providers within his or her practice last professional contact with the patient, whichever is longer;
  4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no medical record involving services which are under dispute shall be destroyed until the dispute is resolved.

Alabama Medical Record Retention Statutes

If you would like to read the laws in Alabama pertaining to medical record retention yourself, visit this link:

Preparing Medical Records for Custodianship in Alabama

Our medical record custodianship experts provide customized quotes based on your specific needs and the number of patient records or charts you have.

We take patient privacy seriously. Our medical record storage and document scanning solutions are all HIPAA-compliant and we use servers specially encrypted for medical record storage. HIPAA was designed to ensure the confidential handling of health records. All medical records scanning must be done in a manner that is compliant with HIPAA and its privacy regulations.

Because your patient’s records are filled with personal health information (PHI), they must remain private and secure at all times. This is not just a moral obligation to your patients, it’s a legal obligation, and it’s important that you partner with a trusted medical records custodian who can ensure the security of your patients’ record throughout the entire custodianship process. 

Medical Record Custodian Process:

  1. All physical patient files are securely shipped to our facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
  2. We scan your medical records and digitize if needed, and extract patient files from your EMR to house them ourselves.
  3. We create a custom records request landing page on our website for your patients.
  4. You give notice to your patients that we will be the custodian of your medical records, using a template we provide.
  5. You give notice to the Alabama state medical board that Desert River Solutions is now your custodian of records.
  6. All health information requests go through us as your medical record custodian and you no longer have to do anything!
  7. Patients will be able to sign a request form, send it back securely, and receive any requested medical records in a prompt manner.

Learn More About Desert River Solutions Medical Records Custodian Services for Alabama Medical Practices

When a healthcare facility or doctor’s office closes, hiring a custodian of medical records company to manage patient records makes it easier for doctors and staff to go on to their next adventure. In Alabama, medical records must be retained for a minimum of 7 years. Desert River Solutions makes it easy for you to ensure your patients have access to their medical records for the legally required amount of time.

Contact us today to get a no-obligation quote on medical record custodian services for your Alabama medical practice.

Legal Disclaimer: the information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.

Learn More About 
DRS Medical Record Custodian Services

When a healthcare facility or doctor’s office closes, hiring a custodian of medical records company to manage patient records makes it easier for doctors and staff to go on to their next adventure. Desert River Solutions makes it easy for you to ensure your patients have access to their medical records for the legally required amount of time.

Contact us today to get a no-obligation quote on medical record custodian services for your medical practice.