The purpose of this section is to improve patient outcomes and hospital performance through obtaining, managing, and using information.

Hospitals must:

(1) Provide medical staff, employees and other authorized persons with access to patient information systems, resources, and services;

(2) Maintain confidentiality, security, and integrity of information;

(3) Initiate and maintain a medical record for every patient assessed or treated including a process to review records for completeness, accuracy, and timeliness;

(4) Create medical records that:

(a) Identify the patient;

(b) Have clinical data to support the diagnosis, course and results of treatment for the patient;

(c) Have signed consent documents;

(d) Promote continuity of care;

(e) Have accurately written, signed, dated, and timed entries;

(f) Indicate authentication after the record is transcribed;

(g) Are promptly filed, accessible, and retained according to RCW 70.41.190 and chapter 5.46 RCW; and

(h) Include verbal orders that are accepted and transcribed by qualified personnel;

(5) Establish a systematic method for identifying each medical record, identification of service area, filing, and retrieval of all patient's records; and

(6) Adopt and implement policies and procedures that address:

(a) Who has access to and release of confidential medical records according to chapter 70.02 RCW;

(b) Retention and preservation of medical records according to RCW 70.41.190;

(c) Transmittal of medical data to ensure continuity of care; and

(d) Exclusion of clinical evidence from the medical record.