Record Management Systems Interviews

One of the reasons that procedures may vary for handling patient records is due to the volume of patients seen on any given day. The objective of this assignment is to

compare and contrast record management systems in different sized facilities.

PART A

Identify company names and contact information for health care facilities for each of the following profiles:

A small medical facility (an office with one or two doctors)

A medium-sized facility (a clinic where several doctors work in partnership)

A large facility (a hospital or medical center)

Contact the facilities and identify an employee (one for each facility) who is knowledgeable about maintaining patient records. Once identified, make a request to

interview that individual.

Schedule a specific date and time when you will be able to conduct your in-person or phone interview.

Conduct the interview. Make sure that you have means of recording answers to the following questions:

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Small Facility

Insert name of facility

Insert name of person being interviewed

Insert position/title of person being interviewed

Insert phone number and email address of person being interviewed

Medium-sized Facility

Insert name of facility

Insert name of person being interviewed

Insert position/title of person being interviewed

Insert phone number and email address of person being interviewed

Large Facility

Insert name of facility

Insert name of person being interviewed

Insert position/title of person being interviewed

Insert phone number and email address of person being interviewed

1. Approximately how many patient records does your department/ facility handle in a typical day?

2. Are records in your facility paper, electronic, or both?

If paper records:

Are the records centralized or decentralized?

What determines if new information is allowed to remain loose or must be permanently anchored in the record?

How many different locations are there in your department that patient files may be found? (For example, are there some temporary holding areas in addition to

a permanent area?)

Is there a need to chart the circulation of files from one location to another, so that your staff knows where files are kept?

If electronic records:

What EMR/EHR software is being used?

Where is new information kept until someone enter the information into the EMR/EHR?

3. What problems are caused by mismanaging records?

4. What measures in terms of physical storage are taken to ensure the privacy of the medical record?

5. What measures in terms of personal handling are taken to ensure the privacy of the medical record?

6. Does your facility use an alphabetic system or a numeric system?

If numeric, is it:

Straight numeric order?

Middle-digit order?

Terminal-digit order?

Other?

7. Do you have a policy or mechanism to reproduce a lost record?

8. How do you handle records for patients who no longer visit your facility?

9. What changes in procedures do you think would make record management easier or smoother for you? What are your greatest challenges?

PART B

Write a 260-word reaction to your experience and thoughts with the class by posting a response discussing the interviews you conducted. Also, attach your completed

“Office Comparison Interviews” (Appendix B) document to your post for your classmates (this assignment will be used as a resource in future assignments) to review