AGENCY: Department of Health. Bureau of Health Promotion

SERIES: 1788
TITLE: Cancer screening program open patient case files
DATES: 1991-
ARRANGEMENT: None

DESCRIPTION: These are the results of cancer tests offered by the state. Included in these records are confidential personal health record, confidential clinic results, pelvic referral form, breast referral form, and laboratory test results.

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Information includes the patient's name, address, ethnic origin, educational level, family total income, number of people in household, religion, next of kin, age at marriage and first pregnancy, personal and family history of certain diseases, date of birth, height, weight, telephone number, social security number, medical history, signed consent for medical information to be released to the department, signed consent for the screening, the diagnosis, the procedures used in the testing, and the recommended treatment.

RETENTION

Permanent. Retain for 5 year(s) or for 0

DISPOSITION

Transfer to Archives.

RETENTION AND DISPOSITION AUTHORIZATION

Retention and disposition for this series were specifically approved by the State Records Committee.

APPROVED: 08/1986

FORMAT MANAGEMENT

Paper: Retain in Office for 5 years or until the file is closed and then transfer to State Archives with authority to weed.

APPRAISAL

Administrative Historical Legal

Once a patient file is opened it cannot be determined when it will be closed. Each patient is subject to an annual follow-up until they die, move, or indicate that they no longer desire to participate in the program. If a patient does not respond to the follow-up letters for 2 years they are dropped from the program. While the file is open, it remains in the office because information input into the data system is statistical and it is not readily available to the staff on a day-to-day basis. The documents in the open file must be kept for 5 years because Utah Code Annotated 78-14-4 states that a malpractice suit may be filed up to 4 years after the act. The staff has no administrative use of the record after 3 years.__Permanent retention of this information in machine readable form (MARC) is recommended for use by medical researchers.

PRIMARY DESIGNATION

Private