All medical records storage programs mandate special care in organizing their retention, but none so much as pediatric records storage. All healthcare providers are obligated to keep records for each patient served, regardless of whether the patient anticipates continued service. Even in cases where the provider retires or otherwise no longer offers medical services, retention obligations remain.

Pediatric records storage efforts require perhaps an even greater level of forethought and care. This is due mainly to the greater requirements of retention periods surrounding records for underage patients. This means that while all medical records require storage and custodianship as a part of their management over time, pediatric records stand out as especially unique in the challenge they offer care providers.

Pediatric Records Storage: Why Does it Matter?

One of the main reasons that retention policies exist is to provide continuation of care for patients. Retention policies ensure that patients can access those records during a reasonable window of time after care was provided but before the risk of further needing care have ended. State and other level policymakers enforce time periods based on this fact.

Minor patients, like those whom pediatric records storage concern, see extended retention periods for their records. Records vary from state to state, but usually policy is built around the time until the day they reach legal adulthood. Most states enforce a policy that extends to this point and usually beyond by a measure of years.

Pediatric records storage and custodianship responsibilities fall on the care provider. But with retention periods ranging out to potentially quite lengthy sums of years, this can complicate retirement or closure of a practice.

Why Pediatric Records Custodianship Matters

Pediatricians and pediatric care providers have multiple obligations beyond just retaining their patient records. True records custodianship means retention, which includes pediatric records storage. But it doesn’t stop there. Custodians of records must store them in a manner that ensures their total preservation. They must keep records available to patients whenever requested. Finally, it often means securely destroying the record after it reaches the end of its retention period.

Essentially, for the scope of a record’s life, custodians must preserve the records, keep it readily available to patients and keep it secure from everyone else. Then it must be destroyed. This all has to happen independent of actions from the care provider – like retirement, sale or closure of a practice.

In the case of pediatric records, where some patients may be as young as newborns, these periods can extend to over twenty years in many or most states.

Professional Options You Can Rely On

For child healthcare providers looking to address their pediatric records storage and retention needs, look no further than Cariend.

Cariend is a professional medical records custodianship service that handles pediatric records storage and retention obligations. Cariend offers records custodianship tools designed to store, manage and destroy records throughout their retention period.

What’s more, Cariend also employs the best in patient access protocols. This ensures patients have access to their records throughout the retention period, even if the medical care provider has retired from active practice.

Secure a Tailored Plan for Your Records

At Cariend, care providers can count on a specific plan tailored to meet the needs of their practice. Whether you’re considering retirement, closure or sale of your practice, Cariend has a tailored pediatric records storage and custodianship plan for you. Contact Cariend today to learn more.