Question

Patient records should be maintained for:

a) No less than 3 years
b) No less than 5 years
c) No less than 7 years
d) No less than 9 years

Answer 1

Patient records should be maintained for a minimum of 7 years to ensure patient safety, continuity of care, and legal compliance.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is c) No less than 7 years.

In the healthcare industry, patient records must be maintained for a certain period of time to ensure patient safety, continuity of care, and legal compliance. The generally accepted standard is to retain patient records for a minimum of 7 years, although some states or organizations may have specific requirements that extend the retention period.

For example, in the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates that healthcare providers retain medical records for 6 years from the date of creation or last use. However, individual states may have longer retention periods, such as New York, which requires retention for 10 years.