Question: How long do they have to keep your medical records in the doctor’s
office?
From: Heidi E.

Answer: Most states require that providers, hospitals and physicians, keep medical records for 7 to 10 years, depending on the state. My own primary care physician retired several years ago and he had my records for the entire time I had gone to him-almost 30 years. Upon my request, he forwarded records to my new physician. I would suggest that you ask your physician how long he keeps records. As you can imagine, the record from a hospital visit will be much longer than a physician’s office visit and so storage has been a problem. As hospitals and even some physicians make the transition to electronic medical records, some of this will be alleviated. In January 2005, the Bush Administration called for the establishment of a national network of electronic health records within 10 years. There are certainly advantages in accessing records quickly in cases of disaster but confidentiality and security must also be protected.