How long should a dental office keep records?
How long should a dental office keep records?
In general, clinical and financial records, as well as radiographs, consultation reports, and drug and lab prescriptions must be maintained for at least ten years after the date of the last entry in the patient’s record.
How do you maintain dental patient records?
Individual records should be stored securely, not left unattended or in public areas. No entry should be erased. All entries made in pen should be legible and reproducible. All errors in the records should be indicated and the correct entry should be mentioned along with the date, time and a signature.
How long should a dental office keep EOBS?
Federal law mandates that a provider keep and retain each record for a minimum of seven years from the date of last service to the patient.
How long does a dental office have to keep models?
There is an accepted rule of keeping dental records and models for up to seven years. The models are generally stored for this amount of time unless the doctor feels that it is a big involved implant case and wants to keep the models indefinitely.
Why is record keeping important in dentistry?
Comprehensive and accurate records are a vital part of dental practice. The primary purpose of maintaining dental records is to deliver quality patient care and follow-up. Dental records can also be used for forensic purposes and have an important role in teaching and research, as well as in legal matters.
What do dental records include?
[1] The dental record is the official office document that records all diagnostic information, clinical notes, treatment performed and patient-related communications that occur in the dental office, including instructions for home care and consent to treatment.
How long does a dentist have to keep patient records in California?
seven years
Section 123145 of the California Health and Safety Code states that the minimum retention time of patient records is seven years only if the dentist ceases operation. Beyond that, California law does not specify the period of time that patient records must be maintained after the patient discontinues treatment.
How long must dental records be kept in California?
Records must be kept for seven years after a dental practice ceases operations. Maintain all parts of the record, including radiographs and models. If onsite storage of the inactive patients’ charts is not an option, store records offsite in a secured location. Another option is to store records electronically.
What do dental records consist of?
The record may consist of several different elements, which include written notes, radiographs, study models [Figures 1–2], referral letters, consultants’ reports, clinical photographs, results of special investigations, drug prescriptions, laboratory prescriptions, patient identification information, and a …
Why do schools need dental records?
Lack of access to dental care is a problem for many California children. The kindergarten dental checkup requirement, AB 1433, signed into law in 2006, helps schools identify children suffering from untreated dental disease and helps parents establish a dental home for their children.
How far back do dental records go?
