2005 Minnesota Statutes - 145.32 — Old records may be destroyed.

     145.32 Old records may be destroyed. 


    Subdivision 1.    Hospital records.  The superintendent 
 or other chief administrative officer of any public or private 
 hospital, by and with the consent and approval of the board of 
 directors or other governing body of the hospital, may divest 
 the files and records of that hospital of any individual case 
 records bearing dates more than three years prior to the date of 
 the divestiture and, with that consent and approval, may destroy 
 the records.  The records shall first have been transferred and 
 recorded as authorized in section 145.30.  


    Portions of individual hospital medical records that 
 comprise an individual permanent medical record, as defined by 
 the commissioner of health, shall be retained as authorized in 
 section 145.30.  Other portions of the individual medical 
 record, including any miscellaneous documents, papers, and 
 correspondence in connection with them, may be divested and 
 destroyed after seven years without transfer to photographic 
 film.  


    All portions of individual hospital medical records of 
 minors shall be maintained for seven years following the age of 
 majority.  


    Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the 
 retention of hospital medical records beyond the periods 
 described in this section.  Nor shall anything in this section 
 be construed to prohibit patient access to hospital medical 
 records as provided in section 144.335.  


    Subd. 2.    Individual permanent medical record.  (a) 
 The commissioner of health shall define by rule the term 
 "individual permanent medical record" by enumerating the 
 specific types of records or other information that, at a 
 minimum, must be maintained on a permanent basis by the hospital.


    (b) "Individual permanent medical record" includes 
 outpatient diagnostic and laboratory test results. 


    HIST: 1941 c 229 s 3; 1971 c 231 s 2; 1983 c 237 s 1; 1988 c 
 670 s 9