Q&A: Retaining paper copies of medical records

Q. How long do we need to keep hard copies of medical records after they’ve been scanned into our EMR?

A. Since your EMR is your legal medical record, you can set a shorter retention period for original paper documents that have been scanned into the EMR for long-term retention. It’s a good idea to keep scanned paper for at least 30–60 days to allow for quality control reviews. If your reviewers (or EMR users) identify a problem with a scanned document, you can rescan it. After the retention period, paper documents should be destroyed in a manner that protects confidentiality, such as shredding, pulping, or burning.

Editor's note: This question was answered by Mary D. Brandt, MBA, RHIA, CHE, CHPS. Brandt is a healthcare consultant specializing in healthcare regulatory compliance and operations improvement. She is also an advisory board member for BOH. This information does not constitute legal advice. Consult legal counsel for answers to specific privacy and security questions. Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent HCPro or ACDIS. Email your HIPAA questions to Editor Nicole Votta at nvotta@hcpro.com.