Provider Letter No. 17-20 – Electronic Health Records
Nursing Facilities may use the system of medical records that best suits their needs whether it is paper or an electronic system.
As directed in the DADS released provider letter, a provider must grant access to any EHR when requested by the surveyor. During the entrance conference, surveyors will verify with the provider the process they will follow in order to have unrestricted access to a resident’s medical records. Please note that impeding the survey process by unnecessarily delaying or restricting access to a resident’s medical records may lead to termination from Medicare participation or a licensure action pursuant to 40 TAC §§19.2104(a)(2), 19.2106(a)(2) and 19.2112(a)(3).
Facilities may use web-based EHRs so that surveyors can access the electronic system from their laptop computer and the facility only needs to provide temporary access to Wi-Fi. The survey team can then access the electronic system without using a facility computer terminal. Additionally, Provider Letter No. 17-20 May 18, 2017 Page 2 regardless of the type of EHR the facility uses, setting one password that surveyors can use for the duration of the survey to log into the EHR instead of requiring surveyors to request a new password each time they need to review an electronic record during a visit will prevent delays when surveyors are reviewing electronic records.
