Section 17-6812. HEALTH CARE RECORDS

 

6812.1A podiatrist shall maintain accurate, detailed, legible, and organized health

care records documenting all information collected pertaining to a patient’s health status.

 

6812.2 A podiatrist shall not erase, alter, or conceal information in a patient’s

health care records.

 

6812.3 A podiatrist shall initial and date any correction made to a patient’s

health care record in the corresponding margin and shall maintain the legibility of any information that has been corrected.

 

6812.4 A podiatrist shall release, within twenty-one (21) days after receipt of a request, a copy of a patient’s health care records when the request is made by:

 

(a) The patient; or

 

(b) The legal representative or guardian of a patient or person  authorized to  have access to the patient’s record under a health

care power of attorney.

 

6812.5 A podiatrist may charge a reasonable copy fee per health care record and may refuse to provide a copy of the patient’s health care until payment has been made.

 

6812.6 Health care records shall be maintained for a minimum period of three (3)

years after the last contact by the podiatrist with an adult patient and a minimum period of three (3) years after a minor patient reaches the age of

majority.

 

6812.7 A podiatrist shall post information in his or her office to inform patients of the period for health care record retention.

 

6812.8 Patient health care records shall be destroyed in a manner that protects patient confidentiality, such as by incineration or shredding, and then only

after notice is provided to the last known address of the patient at least sixty (60) days before destruction.

 

6812.9 Patient health care records stored electronically shall have an established system of weekly back-up.

 

6812.10 When a podiatrist is closing, selling, or relocating his or her practice, he or she shall notify current and former patients whose health care records are being held by the podiatrist, at the patient’s last known address at least sixty (60) days before closing, selling, or relocating the practice.  The podiatrist shall indicate how, where, and for how long patient health care

records may be retrieved after the office is closed, sold, or relocated.

 

authority

The Director of the Department of Health, pursuant to the authority set forth in § 302(14) of the District of Columbia Health Occupations Revision Act of 1985, effective March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-99; D.C. Official Code § 3-1203.02(14) (2007 Repl.)), and Mayor’s Order 98-140, dated August 20, 1998.

source

Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 58 DCR 8578, 8580 (October 7, 2011).