The bill amends RCW 70.41.190 to establish new requirements for the retention of hospital medical records. Under the new provisions, hospitals are mandated to retain and preserve all medical records for a minimum of 26 years from the date the record was created. This applies to both records created before and after the effective date of the bill, with specific exceptions for records that were already disposed of in compliance with previous regulations. Additionally, hospitals are allowed to maintain records in various formats, including paper, microfilm, and electronic media.

The bill also stipulates that all information collected during each unique visit is classified as a medical record. In the event that a hospital ceases operations, it is required to make immediate arrangements for the preservation of its records, subject to approval by the department. Furthermore, the department is tasked with defining the types of records and the necessary information to be included in the retained medical records, which may also be kept in photographic form as per existing regulations.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 70.41.190
Substitute Bill: 70.41.190
Bill as Passed Legislature: 70.41.190
Session Law: 70.41.190