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. The bill also clarifies that hospitals may retain records in various formats, including paper, microfilm, and electronic media. Additionally, it specifies that all information collected during each unique visit is considered a medical record.

The legislation includes stipulations regarding the preservation of records if a hospital ceases operations, requiring immediate arrangements approved 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. The bill ensures that hospitals remain compliant with any other existing record retention requirements, thereby reinforcing the importance of maintaining comprehensive medical documentation for patient care.

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