Q&A: Shredding documents after scanning

Q: Is it safe to immediately shred charts that have been scanned into the electronic medical record system? Should we keep a paper backup?

A: Some organizations keep paper originals for a period of time (such as 90 days) after they have been scanned, but you are not required to do so. Paper originals should be kept until the scanned documents have undergone quality review to ensure they have been completely and legibly scanned.

Editor’s note: Mary D. Brandt, MBA, RHIA, CHE, CHPS 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.