While many new hospitals such as Sydney’s Macquarie University Hospital aim for 100% paperless record keeping,[1] for other hospitals access to this technology is unobtainable, so paper-based record keeping is still the norm due to the complex nature of retention schedules.
In a recent article on Royal Adelaide Hospital,[2] Health Information Management Association President Jennifer Gilder estimates between 300,000 and 400,000 records would have been created in a 2 year period.
Compu-Stor understands the need for proper security and protocols, and when required, destruction of sensitive medical records. Aside from protecting patients private medical information, we also recognise the necessity of compliance with regulatory bodies.
Document Archiving
Compu-Stor is able to provide tailored solutions when it comes to document storage. For hospitals where documents are produced and retrieved by their thousands on a daily basis, our Storage solutions are the ideal remedy for document storage problems.
We assign a unique identifying barcode to every box to make sure that we can find it easily. Our barcoding system also gives you an added layer of security – your boxes are randomly placed throughout our entire warehouse!
We can assign a unique barcode to files within archive boxes, giving our customers an extra level of detail and information for every record. It also makes it easier to find certain important files quickly.
We store archive boxes in long-span, high-rise metal shelving within custom-built warehouses that meet and exceed industry standards of cleanliness, security, fire protection and pest control.
For high retrieval customers we have fast and efficient open shelf storage and when this is combined with our medical records scan-on-demand service you can be assured we are able to meet the urgent/critical demands you have.
So, what type of protection do your records receive? Our facilities are designed to protect documents from rodent infestation and environmental risks, while also providing complete security by having a 2.5m reinforced fence surrounding the perimeter, security gates, CCTV and restricted swipe card access.
Document Destruction
Another side of proper document handling is destruction. While some medical documents may need to be kept for 24-75 years, there are other documents that may not have to be kept as long, but do need to be treated with some care when being destroyed.
One such incident that stresses the importance of proper destruction processes was reported recently in March 2018.
In January 2018, St Francis Hospital in Columbus, Georgia, USA, discovered that a number of patients personal information could have been compromised when documents destined for the shredder inadvertently found their way in to the regular waste and were sent to the local landfill.[3]
Compu-Stor can provide medical practices with document destruction solutions for their facility. Depending on the amount of documents you may need disposed, Compu-Stor can provide you with Destruction Bags, Disposal Cartons or Destruction Bins.
To find out more about Compu-Stor’s document storage and destruction service, contact us on 1300 559 778, or complete our online enquiry form.
[1] https://www.smh.com.au/technology/digital-intervention-the-paperless-hospital-is-here-20120210-1sctm.html
[2] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-05/royal-adelaide-hospital-paper-medical-records-storage/7298330
[3] http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/business/health-care/article205181029.html
