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Retention of medical records - HAW. REV. STAT. § 622-58

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Health care providers must retain medical records for 7 years after the last date of treatment. In the case of minor patients, records must be retained for 7 years past the minor’s 18th birthday. Records may be electronic, or maintained via microfilm or similar process.
 
Medical records may be destroyed after 7 years, provided that the manner of destruction preserves the confidentiality of the information. A physician must retain the basic information from each record destroyed: the patient’s name, birthdate, a dated list of diagnoses and treatments, and a record of drugs prescribed. A health care facility must retain the basic information from each record destroyed: the patient’s name, birthdate, dates of admission and discharge, names of attending physicians, diagnoses, major procedures performed, reports, and discharge summaries.
 
The provider must maintain the basic information for 25 years after the last entry. In the case of minor patients, basic information must be retained for 25 years past the minor’s 18th birthday.
 
 
Note: This statute uses the term “health care provider” as defined in HAW. REV. STAT. § 671-1.  "Health care provider" means a physician, osteopathic physician, surgeon, physician assistant, podiatrist, a health care facility, and the employees of any of them.  Health care provider does not mean any nursing institution or nursing service.


Current as of January 2016