Medical Records

[Amatullah0]

How long are these usually held? The hospital I gave birth to DS at uses digital records(no paper files), I'd like to get a copy of my chart from when I was in labor, and of DS's ped record, or at least see it... any advice?

[sharr610]

I think they hold them for many years, the issue may be where and how they are stored. I just recently got my records and my DS's records from his birth in June 2007. They were stored off site, so it just took a little longer(like a day) to receive them.

[Kidzaplenty]

I think most hospitals keep records for at least 7 years. But, being electronic, as most are going to now, I would think they would keep them indefinately.

[CallMeMommy]

Where I work, deceased charts are kept for 10 years and inactive charts are kept for 5 years after the last activity, then microfiched. Nothing's ever really gone.

[NamastePlatypus]

I wanted to do the same thing for mine in Germany.

[mambera]

Notes and test/scan results are pretty much forever, I think.

Where I work, the detailed record of vital signs, medication administrations, etc. disappears a few days after discharge. I don't *think* there's a way to recover it, though I'm not 100% sure.

It's helpful if you tell medical records what portion of the chart you want to see.

[sharr610]

Originally Posted by mambera

Notes and test/scan results are pretty much forever, I think.

Where I work, the detailed record of vital signs, medication administrations, etc. disappears a few days after discharge. I don't *think* there's a way to recover it, though I'm not 100% sure.

It's helpful if you tell medical records what portion of the chart you want to see.

Mine still had all these details. I agree to make sure to tell them all of what you want. I made sure to get the doctor's AND nurses' notes and am glad I did. So much information. Fascinating, scary, odd...so much I kinda felt like I was reliving the whole thing with the missing pieces I had blocked out.