Medical Records - Maryland Department of Health

What are the provisions for the content of a health record?

The health record provisions in are;

• Confidentiality provisions- this states the patients privacy rights as well as disclosure rules
• Patient access- this states that the disclose authorization
• Procedure for disclosure- this states the procedures that the healthcare providers should use before disclosing the information to the third party.
• Evidentiary disclosure- this states the evidence that will be needed by the court
• Insurance disclosures- this states the procedure that the healthcare provider should follow in disclosing insured's medical records
• Retention policies- this states the condition in which the patient's medical record should be retained (Stanley, n.d).

What are the rules regarding the timeliness of completion of a record?

The rules state that:

• The healthcare provider should complete all patient medical records within 24 hour
• Healthcare providers should include the date and time of medical records.
• The care provider should also place the signature in the record (Maryland Department of Health, n.d).

Locate any state laws regarding health information or medical records for your state

The medical records laws in Maryland are federal and taste laws. These laws safeguard the health of the people. The laws expect the healthcare providers to report epidemics so that the government can aid in studying the disease and provide the best treatment as well as prevention (Maryland Department of Health, n.d).

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Are there retention statues

 There are retention statues in Maryland. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) states that medical records should be kept for six years. The major information that should be retained includes X-ray reports, laboratory reports, drug records, and other relevant information (Maryland Department of Health, n.d). In case the patient dies, or the owner of the license decides to cancel the license, the healthcare provider should not destroy the medical records until he or she notifies the responsible authority.

Are references to the costs of providing copies of medical records?

The healthcare provider should reference the costs for preparing and producing the records before turning them to the authorized individual. The charges may be adjusted by examining the Consumer Price Index.

Share your thoughts on whether you feel these are quite liberal or too strict.

  In my opinion, I feel that these regulations are quite liberal. They are very clear, and the healthcare provider can avoid errors. They are not strict but instead, they allow the care providers to maintain confidentiality and practice professionally (Maryland Department of Health, n.d). Providers and patients enjoy autonomy, and more importantly, they promote quality health

References

 Stanley J. S., ACCESS AND DISCLOSURE OF MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS Summary of Maryland Law. Retrieved from: https://semmes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/disclosure-medical-mental-records.pdf

 Maryland Department of Health. For Your Information: Medical Records.  Retrieved from: https://health.maryland.gov/mbpme/Pages/records.aspx