[Save or destroy? The importance of medical record for former patients and future patients]

Abstract

In 1995, a new privacy law was introduced in the Netherlands. According to this law, medical records should be saved for 10 years, and then destroyed, unless keeping the records for a longer period follows reasonably from the duties of the treating physician (as is the case, for example, when treating patients with a chronic disease). There are serious concerns with regard to the future availability of medical record data for clinical research and patient care after 2005. Evaluation of the late effects of many medical treatments will no longer be possible in the Netherlands. Patient care, particularly genetic counselling, will be also seriously compromised. As a possible solution the profession might name diagnoses and treatments regarding for which, from the point of view of good care, it is necessary for files to be kept for longer than 10 years. For a uniform nationwide policy it would be better if all files, perhaps after sorting by diagnosis and treatment, should be obligatorily kept for much longer than 10 years, preferably for the duration of the life expectancy.