SECTION 310:667-40-11. Medical record services

(a)   General. The EH shall have medical record services that ensure a medical record is maintained for every patient evaluated or treated in the facility. Medical record services shall be appropriate to the scope and complexity of the services performed and shall ensure prompt completion, filing, and retrieval of records. In general, services such as transcription, computer indexing and coding, and electronic storage may be performed off-site as a contracted service as long as the medical record remains under the control of the EH. The EH shall ensure that medical records maintained by a contracted service remain confidential and can be immediately accessed by EH staff.

(b)   Reports to agencies and the Department. The EH shall comply with all requirements specified in OAC 310:667-19-2(a) regarding the reports made to agencies and the Department.

(c)   Content. The medical record shall contain information to justify patient admission and treatment, support the diagnosis, and describe the patient's progress and response to treatment and services received. All entries shall be legible and complete, and shall be authenticated and dated promptly by the person, identified by name and discipline, who is responsible for ordering, providing or evaluating the service furnished.

(1)   The author of each entry shall be identified and shall authenticate their entry. Authentication may include written signatures or computerized or electronic entries. If computerized or electronic authentications are used, the EH shall comply with all requirements specified at OAC 310:667-19-10(e). Telephone or verbal orders shall be authenticated by the physician or practitioner giving the order or meet the requirements at OAC 310:667-19-2(c)(4). The person taking the telephone or verbal order shall read the order back to the physician or practitioner to ensure it was correctly understood and verify on the order the fact that the order was read back. Each facility, within its own procedures and protocols, shall establish a verification process to be placed on orders to demonstrate that the order was read back to the physician. Reports of history and physical examinations and discharge summaries shall be authenticated by the authorized physician or practitioner who performed the examination or produced the summary or meet the requirements at OAC 310:667-19-10(e) if authenticated by another physician or practitioner. Signature stamps may be used to authenticate entries in the medical record provided the requirements at OAC 310:667-19-10(d) are met.

(2)   All inpatient records shall document the following as appropriate:

(A)   Patient identifying information including individuals to be contacted in case of an emergency.

(B)   Evidence of a physical examination, including a health history, performed not more than thirty (30) days prior to admission or within forty-eight (48) hours after admission. The history and physical examination shall be completed, signed and placed in the record within 48 hours of admission.

(C)   Admitting diagnosis.

(D)   Results of all consultative evaluations of the patient and appropriate findings by clinical and other staff involved in the care of the patient.

(E)   Documentation of complications, hospital acquired infections, and unfavorable reactions to any drug or biological.

(F)   Properly executed informed consent forms for procedures and treatments performed. The medical and professional staff shall establish which procedures or treatments require informed consent consistent with Federal and State law.

(G)   All physicians' and practitioners' orders, nursing notes, reports of treatment, medication records, diagnostic reports, vital signs and other information necessary to monitor the patient's condition.

(H)   Discharge summary with outcome of hospitalization, disposition of case, medications at the time of discharge, and provisions for follow-up care.

(I)   Reports. All reports and records shall be completed and filed within a period consistent with good medical practice and not longer than thirty (30) days following discharge.

(J)   Final diagnosis.

(d)   Maintenance of records. The EH shall maintain a medical record for each emergency, stabilization, or observational patient. Medical records shall be accurately written, promptly completed, properly filed and retained, and accessible. The EH shall use a system of author identification and record maintenance that ensures the integrity of the authentication and protects the security of all record entries.

(1)   Medical records shall be retained at least five (5) years after the date the patient was last seen or at least of three (3) years after the date of the patient's death. Records of minors shall be retained three (3) years past the age of majority. Medical records may be maintained in their original form or may be preserved by other means as specified by OAC 310:667-19-14(b).

(2)   The EH shall have, or provide, a system of coding and indexing medical records. The system shall allow for timely retrieval by diagnosis and procedure, in order to support medical care evaluation studies.

(3)   Medical records shall be confidentially maintained. Information from, or copies of, records shall be released only to authorized individuals in accordance with state law, and the EH shall ensure that unauthorized individuals cannot gain access to, or alter medical records. Original medical records shall be released only in accordance with federal or state laws or by court order.

(4)   Facsimile copies shall be acceptable as any portion of the medical record. If the facsimile is transmitted on thermal paper, that paper shall be photocopied to preserve its integrity in the record. Facsimile copies shall be considered the same as original copies.

(5)   In the event of closure of the EH, the EH shall inform the Department of the disposition of the patient medical records. Disposition shall be in a manner to protect the integrity of the information contained in the medical record. These records shall be retained and disposed of as specified by OAC 310:667-19-14(b)(4).

[Source: Added at 20 Ok Reg 1664, eff 6-12-03; Amended at 21 Ok Reg 2785, eff 7-12-04; Amended at 24 Ok Reg 1189, eff 4-2-07 (emergency); Amended at 25 Ok Reg 2472, eff 7-11-08; Amended at 30 Ok Reg 1966, eff 7-25-13]