You work for a 575-bed acute care Level I research trauma center. This hospital is also a teaching hospital that is connected to a university. The medical center brings in tens of millions o

HIM- 226
Case Study 2-30 Updating the Retention and Destruction Policy for Healthcare Records.
You work for a 575-bed acute care Level I research trauma center. This hospital is also a teaching hospital that is connected to a university. The medical center brings in tens of millions of dollars in research and other grants each year. This healthcare organization’s obstetric ward delivers the most babies in the city. There is also an active heart surgery center.
There is one year’s worth of data in the EHR. There is two years worth of paper on the shelf. All older records are maintained on microfilm. You have just run out of storage space. Because of this, you have been asked to evaluate the current retention policy, which is to retain records forever.

1. Identify the factors that the minimum retention policy should be based on?
2. Determine the statute of limitation for your state?
3. Recommend the length of time that the health records should be kept. Justify your recommendation?
4. Specify the method of destruction that you recommend for the paper and electronic data?
5. Recommend whether you would perform the destruction in-house or outsource it. Justify your recommendation?