Purge | Record Organization
The foundation of any good records management plan is a good, thorough records purge. Many facilities simply do not have the time to complete one, and fewer and fewer companies even offer them. Anyone can claim to do a good purge – our teams know how to do them effectively and efficiently. Based on a thorough assessment, we develop a purge plan that meets the needs of your department and accounts for all types of filing systems. Purging should never be an “afterthought” or be left to chance – it should be the foundation of any record management plan.
The basis of any solid medical records management program:
Our purge teams can quickly grasp how your medical records are filed. Inpatients and surgical outpatients (SOP) are filed together in what’s called the permanent file. These are most often are in terminal digit order. There are three different terminal digit filing systems: (1) single folder (2) yearly folder (3) single encounter. The second most common filing system for inpatients is straight numeric filing. ER’s and outpatients (MOP’s – Medical Outpatients, labs & radiology) are often filed separate from the perm file in date order (day-groups), alphabetically. Often in accordian-type folders. When all are filed together, IP-OP-ER, it is called a “unit record” and is becoming less common.
Experienced teams complete from record removal to transportation:
Regardless of your filing methodology, our teams have seen it. On a purge, we need to determine how records are filed, how many years are kept on the shelves, what anomalies may exist in filing, the date of the last purge, all record locations, and any legacy issues. Since medical records are all we do, we will understand your needs quickly and develop the purge plan in conjunction with you.
Custom plan to meet the needs of each department:
Different filing systems require much different effort and lengths of time for purging.
- Single encounter year band purge:
A single encounter inpatient purge is the easiest purge to complete and require the least amount of time. You simply pull by year band. There are “yearly folders”, meaning that all encounter types for a calendar year are filed into a single folder, but only for a particular year. A yearly folder can simply be removed in the same manner as single encounter folders. - Unit record thinning purges:
A thinning purge means every chart must be touched, opened, and thinned of the year or years of the purge, it takes more time, and costs the facility much more.
Shelf organization updating:
Part of our purge process is updating your shelf organization. Let our purge teams become a temporary extension of your HIM department and we’ll leave you well organized and completely up to date.
Chart retrieval provided while on site:
Our purge teams know you may need access to records while we’re on site. We design our purges so you can continue to have access while we’re there.
The Purge Process
We’ll collect your initial information over the phone, but in most cases we’ll send a purge expert on-site so we can create a detailed purge plan.
- We mock purge several terminals to get a feel for how many boxes will results from the purge.
- We gather details on all aspects of the purge, including working hours, staging area for boxes as they accumulate, any breaks in the filing system that are apart from the norm.
- We agree on what records management program each of the record groups will go through.
- We’ll develop a proposal, along with references and HIPAA information. Costs depend on chart volume and whether or not it’s a thinning, or surgical, purge or a “drag and drop” (literally pulling folders from the shelf to a box).
- Once we agree on the plan and the price, we put you on our purge schedule. We brief our staff on the type of purge, how long it will take, working hours, staging area, and any other department protocols. We send boxes in advance, file folders, and needed supplies, then schedule travel arrangements and send out crew. When complete we send out the truck to load and transport the boxes.
- The boxes return to EvriChart and the process begins or Chart Clearing or backscanning.
EvriChart Purge Benefits
- On site supervision by EvriChart supervisors and employees
- Every chart is examined for accuracy and for purge inclusion or exclusion
- New folder created and labeled for every “thinned” chart
- Reference insert sheets – “Outguides” – placed in every “thinned” chart
- Year band purges are offered when appropriate
- Shelf organization and year band updating with every purge
- Electronic inventory of every box via ACCESS
- Chart retrieval provided by EvriChart staff during the purge
- Assistance with implementing new filing systems
- Misfile identification and correction with every purge
- Consultation and much more
My hospital utilized EvriChart for an extensive medical record purge project and ongoing records management. From the very start, from getting information and quotes, to the end of the project, we received only the most professional customer service. The staff member from EvriChart who came to do the project worked very efficiently, was very non-intrusive to our daily operations, and did an excellent job. After the records were removed from our site, EvriChart’s Client Portal makes it very easy to retrieve any information we have needed. I would definitely recommend EvriChart and plan to use them again myself for our record management needs.” – Tari Henne, RHIA, Director of HIM, Red Bud Regional Hospital, Red Bud, IL
EvriChart performed a file room purge at Cottage several years ago. Our file room was completely out of control. The team came to our facility and methodically purged our records with very little disruption to our day. From the team doing the purge and boxing, to the truck drivers, and on to the entire team at EvriChart, everyone has always been so very helpful and genuinely concerned that we have what we need to provide excellent communication between caregivers, and superb patient care. I can’t say enough about how EvriChart understands the needs of our hospital and is so very aware of the difficult economical times we are all facing. Even through those times EvriChart works diligently with us to help in any way they can. – Vanessa Main, RHIT, Health Information Management Director, Galesburg Cottage Hospital, Galesburg, IL
