• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

  • COVID-19
  • Opinion
  • Health IT
    • Behavioral Health
    • Care Coordination
    • EMR/EHR
    • Interoperability
    • Patient Engagement
    • Population Health Management
    • Revenue Cycle Management
    • Social Determinants of Health
  • Digital Health
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Blockchain
    • Mobile Health
    • Precision Medicine
    • Telehealth
    • Wearables
  • Startups
  • M&A
  • Value-based Care
    • Accountable Care (ACOs)
    • Medicare Advantage
  • Life Sciences
  • Research

PatientBank Launches National Scorecard To Evaluate Medical Records Departments

by HITC Staff 08/11/2017 Leave a Comment

PatientBank Launches National Scorecard To Evaluate Medical Records Departments

PatientBank, a San Francisco, CA-based platform for gathering and sharing medical records has announced the launch of a national scorecard based on the performance and compliance of hospitals’ medical record departments. Developed the rankings in an effort to bring transparency to an often overlooked aspect of hospital quality, the scorecard illustrates the hospitals that are adding ease and efficiency to an optimized medical record process. 

Based on PatientBank’s scoring formula, South Lake Hospital, located in Clermont, Florida; Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center in Downey, California; and Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida shared the top spot. All three hospitals scored a total of 8.5 out of a possible 10.

PatientBank developed the following guidelines for measuring the effectiveness of hospitals in responding to patient requests for records:

– Speed: How long does the hospital normally take to respond to requests for records, ranging from 1 (slow) to 10 (fast)? Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), hospitals are given 30 days to respond to patients’ medical records requests.

– Fees: How much does the hospital charge patients for medical records, ranging from 1 (no fee) to 10 (very expensive)? Hospitals are allowed to charge patients a reasonable, cost-based fee under HIPAA. The PatientBank score considers per page cost and whether the hospital also charges prepayment.

– Fulfillment: How capable is the hospital in returning medical records in the form and format patients ask for? Is the hospital able to return records in an electronic format? The range is from 1 (very limited) to 10 (very flexible). According to HIPAA, a hospital is required to return patient records in the form and format requested, if readily producible.  

– Delivery: How does the hospital allow patients to submit requests for records (for example, by fax or email)? Are there additional requirements for the request (for example, to fill out the hospital’s own form or to submit prepayment)? These policies are ranked from 1 (strict) to 10 (flexible). HIPAA does not permit hospitals to require patients to use only certain delivery methods, such as mail or in-person delivery.  

Looking at the U.S. News & World Report’s 2016-17 Best Hospitals Honor Roll, it is evident that medical records performance is routinely overlooked, even by the country’s best hospitals. While some hospitals on the US News Top 20 list also excel in medical records performance (for example, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago and Duke University Hospital, Durham, N.C. score in the top 90% percentile nationwide), in aggregate the U.S. News Top 20 scores an average of 5.9 out of 10 on medical record performance, which is only as high or higher than 60.5% of the hospitals in the U.S., according to PatientBank’s ranking.

Founded in 2015, PatientBank helps people gather and share medical records online. The company’s platform allows users to order medical records from any healthcare facility in the country. While requests for medical records are normally submitted via fax or mail, PatientBank brings the process online, making it easy to request and share medical records in a secure and convenient way.  To date, the company has processed medical records requests to over 6,900 hospitals across the United States. 

“Medical records performance is a critical yet often overlooked factor of hospital quality,” said Paul Fletcher-Hill, CEO of PatientBank in a statement. “With the release of this national scorecard, we’re hoping to celebrate hospitals around the country that excel in this area, while also bringing more transparency and focus to the medical records process in general.”

Tagged With: PatientBank

Get in-depth healthcare technology analysis and commentary delivered straight to your email weekly

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to HIT Consultant

Latest insightful articles delivered straight to your inbox weekly.

Submit a Tip or Pitch

Most Popular

Survey: Clinician Burnout Is A Public Health Crisis Demanding Urgent Action

17 Execs Share How Health IT Can Address Clinician Burnout, Staffing, & Capacity

Q/A: Dr. Johnson Talks Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Care

Q/A: Dr. Johnson Talks Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Care

Northwell Health Extends Contract with Allscripts Sunrise Platform Through 2027

Northwell to Deploy Epic Enterprise EHR Platform Across System

Sanofi Cuts Price of Lantus Insulin by 78% & Caps Out of Pocket Costs at $35 for All Patients

Sanofi Cuts Price of Lantus Insulin by 78% & Caps Out of Pocket Costs at $35 for All Patients

Pfizer Acquires Seagen for $43B to Tackle Cancer

Pfizer Acquires Seagen for $43B to Tackle Cancer

5 Key Trends Driving Purchasing Decisions in Healthcare IT

5 Key Trends Driving Purchasing Decisions in Healthcare IT

Sanofi to Acquire Diabetes Therapy Maker Provention Bio for $2.9B

Sanofi to Acquire Diabetes Therapy Maker Provention Bio for $2.9B

Dr. Arti Masturzo

Q/A: Dr. Masturzo Talks Addressing Food Insecurity with Patients

Transcarent Acquires 98point6 AI-Powered Virtual Care Platform and Care Business

Transcarent Acquires 98point6 AI-Powered Virtual Care Platform and Care Business

Eli Lilly Cuts Insulin Prices by 70%, Caps Patient Costs at $35 Per Month

Eli Lilly Cuts Insulin Prices by 70%, Caps Patient Costs at $35 Per Month

Secondary Sidebar

Footer

Company

  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Reprints and Permissions
  • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Submit An Op-Ed
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Editorial Coverage

  • Opinion
  • Health IT
    • Care Coordination
    • EMR/EHR
    • Interoperability
    • Population Health Management
    • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Digital Health
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Blockchain Tech
    • Precision Medicine
    • Telehealth
    • Wearables
  • Startups
  • Value-Based Care
    • Accountable Care
    • Medicare Advantage

Connect

Subscribe to HIT Consultant Media

Latest insightful articles delivered straight to your inbox weekly

Copyright © 2023. HIT Consultant Media. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy |