Nobody likes to have their privacy is invaded. Unfortunately, although people understand the importance of confidentiality, not all practise it. In the workplace, this problem might be considered an ethical issue, especially in the service industry. Organisations in these industries should exert more effort in ensuring that their customer and client profiles are well-protected at all times.
Medical records should be kept one hundred per cent confidential. Even family members should have limited access to their loved one’s documents. These records are composed of crucial information, such as admission history, progress notes, operative notes, medication, and more. Sudden and unnecessary disclosure of this information may lead to compromised quality of care. It is also a breach of confidence that can harm a person’s reputation or cause medical identity theft.
Hospitals, clinics, and related industries with access to confidential records are responsible for keeping them safe and secure at all times. Both hard copies and the soft copies should be kept in guarded storage.
How to Keep Medical Documents
Health and care records are composed of an extensive range of materials. These include but are not limited to laboratory reports, handwritten notes, visual and audio recordings, all forms of communication with patients, electronic records, and more. The ideal way to store these confidential documents depends on the type of records you need to keep. Here are some notes that could help various institutions.
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Keeping Physical Documents
Institutions are slowly transitioning to digital copies, but there are still physical records worth keeping while the process is ongoing. If there is enough space in the office, having dedicated storage for all these documents is your best option. If not, renting out offsite storage would be a good alternative. It saves space and keeps the patient’s information away from possible data breaches.
Consider the various types of medical records existing in your file cabinets. If you are safekeeping radiology films or pathology slides, they will need to be stored in specific conditions and within the required retention period.
Radiology records can be hazardous. They should be kept in vented cabinets or vented storage rooms. There are also specific requirements for the vented cabinets’ size and placement that must be followed. Take note of these rules before finalising your storage.
Meanwhile, pathology slides are required to be stored for ten years before they can be disposed of. These should be kept in airtight boxes locked inside the fridge and with enough space in between.
Choose offsite storage services that have climate-control and 24/7 security surveillance. Another critical factor that should be considered is their document retrieval option. Find a storage service that can provide fast retrieval.
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Keeping Electronic Documents
If you are keeping electronic records, then you are in luck. These record files are simpler to manage, although they will require a different kind of protection. Here are things to keep in mind:
- Protect files with passwords
- Create backups of all your records
Whatever online storage you decide to go with, ensure that they have 24/7 customer support and excellent tech support. Make sure that all encoded information is correct. Lastly, if you live in disaster-prone areas, consider storing your backup files outside your region.
Conclusion
As a health and medical institution, your number one priority is your patient. You need to ensure that all patients’ personal information should be protected at all times. There should be no improper access, loss of records, or unintended disclosure of any kind. Most importantly, accessing these records should only be done when necessary.
If you need medical storage units, PP Healthcare Solutions is your source of safe storage solutions that can optimise your workplace and ensure that your medical records are secure. Check out our catalogues for access to a complete range of products and contact us to learn more.