Final answer:
AHIMA guidelines suggest retaining adult health records for at least six years after the last service date, with variations depending on state laws. Policies must address cost optimization, patient quality of life, and privacy risks in compliance with HIPAA standards.
Step-by-step explanation:
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) recommends that the health records of adults be maintained for at least six years after the date of last service. However, this period may be affected by state laws, which may have longer retention requirements. When developing policies related to health records, it is crucial to consider several questions to balance costs, patient quality of life, and privacy risks. Firstly, how can the cost of treatments and diagnoses be optimized without compromising patient care? Secondly, how can policies ensure that patient quality of life is not adversely affected by health records management practices? Lastly, what measures should be put in place to mitigate risks to individual privacy, particularly in compliance with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which mandates strict confidentiality of patient records