If you’re getting ready to close your Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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.
Massachusetts Medical Records Retention Laws
Massachusetts Laws for Minors’ Medical Record Retention
Providers:
If the patient is a minor on the date of the last patient encounter, the licensee must maintain the minor patient’s records for a minimum period of either seven years from the date of the last patient encounter or until the patient reaches 18 years of age, whichever is the longer retention period.
Hospitals:
Any such record or any part or portion thereof may be destroyed 20 years after the discharge or the final treatment therein of the patient to whom it relate.
Massachusetts Laws for Adults’ Medical Record Retention
Providers:
A licensee must maintain a patient’s medical records for a minimum period of seven years from the date of the last patient encounter.
Hospitals:
Any such record or any part or portion thereof may be destroyed 20 years after the discharge or the final treatment therein of the patient to whom it relate.
Massachusetts Medical Facility Closure Guidelines
A licensee must maintain a patient’s records in a manner which permits the former patient or a successor physician reasonable access to the records within the terms of 243 CMR 2.00. 243 CMR 2.00 applies to all licensees including, but not limited to, those with active, inactive, lapsed, suspended, revoked, resigned or retired status.
For more information, visit the Massachusetts State Legislature Website.
Massachusetts Medical Record Retention Statutes
If you would like to read the laws in Massachusetts pertaining to medical record retention yourself, visit this link:
Preparing Medical Records for Custodianship in Massachusetts
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:
- All physical patient files are securely shipped to our facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
- We scan your medical records and digitize if needed, and extract patient files from your EMR to house them ourselves.
- We create a custom records request landing page on our website for your patients.
- You give notice to your patients that we will be the custodian of your medical records, using a template we provide.
- You give notice to the Massachusetts state medical board that Desert River Solutions is now your custodian of records.
- All health information requests go through us as your medical record custodian and you no longer have to do anything!
- 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts 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.
