How long do you keep records?

[kellbell23, BSN, MSN]

I'm curious if most camps have a policy for how long to keep medical records. I have heard 7 years but don't know why. Also, does it vary based on what kind of record? We chart meds & assessments electronically but a few papers (like health screenings & documentation about a camper going off camp grounds) are still around. Does anyone scan documents into a computer? Do you keep the original or shred it? 7 years of paperwork sure takes up a lot of real estate, is hard to keep protected from the elements and I can't imagine finding a single paper in that haystack! Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks!

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

It's my understanding that camp medical records are held to the standards of every other medical record. I would imagine double so if you camp has a doctor. From what I can find the storage range is 7-10 years after the age of majority. Medical Record Retention | The Doctors Company

my camp has stored paper documents, we also do some scanning in the past few years. I think now that we are going totally electronic that will handle storage with some form of encrypted cloud storage.

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

BSA requires all camps to keep a copy of a scout's physical while in-camp, and discourages retention. However, the state of Michigan requires retention of physicals for three years, so that's what we do - after which, they get burned.

As far as treatment records, those should go to council, and stop being my problem. However, I occasionally find records from over a decade ago...