Nahid Tavakoli; Sakineh Saghaiannejad Isfahani; Mohammad Reza Habibi
Volume 9, Issue 1 , March and April 2012
Abstract
Background: Health records serve several purposes and must be retained to meet those purposes. These varied purposes influence how long health records must be kept, or their retention period. The present study aimed to recognize laws and procedures related to retention of health records in selected countries ...
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Background: Health records serve several purposes and must be retained to meet those purposes. These varied purposes influence how long health records must be kept, or their retention period. The present study aimed to recognize laws and procedures related to retention of health records in selected countries and provide a proposed guideline for Iran. Methods: This was an applied, descriptive-comparative research on laws and procedures related to retention of medical records in the USA, United Kingdom, Australia and Iran in 2011. The data was collected via library sources, websites, and consultation with specialists in and out of the country. The validity of the data was confirmed by experts. Finally, the recommendations were provided for medical record retention in Iran. Results: The study revealed complete and transparent record retention schedules in the selected counties. In fact, retention situations for adults, minors, emergency, outpatients and deaths records are clearly determined. However, in Iran, either no specific laws and procedures exist for medical records or they are unspecified. Conclusion: Lack of a complete, transparent and updated medical record retention schedule in Iran has led to confusion for hospitals. Some hospitals maintain medical records more than the determined retention period and some destroy them before expiring of the essential retention period. In order to optimize the situation of health records retention in Iran, it is necessary to review, correct and complete medical records retention schedule on the provided recommendations for different kinds of medical records. Keywords: Medical Records; Procedures; Legislation.
Saeid Karimi; Sakineh Saghaeiannejad Isfahani; Mehrdad Farzandipour; Maryam Esmaeili Ghayoumabadi
Volume 7, Issue 0 , December 2011
Abstract
Introduction: Designing and performing of minimum data sets (MDS) in hospitals and health centers can be considered as the beginning steps of any disease information management which result in improvement of the quality of care and disease control. Transplantation MDS with a set of definitions considered ...
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Introduction: Designing and performing of minimum data sets (MDS) in hospitals and health centers can be considered as the beginning steps of any disease information management which result in improvement of the quality of care and disease control. Transplantation MDS with a set of definitions considered as one the most important management decision making facilities which ensure accessibility to accurate health data. The main purpose of this work was to study the minimum data sets of health information management of organs transplantation in Canada, Malaysia and Australia, and present solutions for Iran.Methods: This research was an applied comparative study in 2009 which was conducted through three stages. At the first step, transplantation MDS in selected pioneer countries was studied via e-text and resources and compare with Iran situation systematically studied. At data analysis stage, the transplantation MDS at selected countries were compared using comparative tables method and difference and similarities were determined. Finally with respect to accumulated data, new organ transplantation registry forms were established for Iran.Results: A transplantation MDS was proposed as 23 forms in three categories (transplantation recipient registration forms, transplant candidate registration forms, transplant recipient follow-up forms, living donors and deceased donor registration forms) and approved by experts.Conclusion: In order to register all the possible data in future, it is necessary to establish different registry forms to prepare the most accurate set of data for organ procurement network. The prepared transplantation MDS as a set of forms will bring about costs controlling and promoting of organ transplantation management in Iran .Also assessment of the rate of organ donations survival establishment of appropriate polices will be possible through exploitation of extracted data from the prepared forms.Keywords: Data; Information Management; Transplants; Comparative Study.