Failure to Provide Timely Access to Resident Medical Records
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide timely access to a resident's medical records as required by its own policy. The Power of Attorney (POA) for a resident with a diagnosis including cerebral infarction requested the resident's medical records and completed the necessary release form on the same day. According to facility policy, copies of records should be made available within two working days of the request. However, the records were not made available until six days after the request, exceeding the facility's stated 48-hour timeframe. Interviews with the Medical Record Supervisor (MRS) and the Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that the delay occurred because the facility followed an internal protocol requiring multiple reviews of the chart before release, which resulted in missing the policy deadline. The MRS acknowledged the delay and stated that following protocol did not justify failing to meet the required timeline. Documentation reviewed confirmed the request date, the date the records were provided, and the payment for the records, substantiating the delay in access.