[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 233 (Monday, December 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 68110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31514]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Interagency Committee for Medical Records (ICMR)


Guidelines for Videotaped Documentation of Episodes of Medical 
Care

AGENCY: General Services Administration.

ACTION: Guidelines for Videotaped Documentation of Episodes of Medical 
Care.

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SUMMARY: The members of the Interagency Committee on Medical Records 
(ICMR) voted to approve the following guidelines which we recommend for 
adoption throughout the federal health care system:
    Videotapes are not part of the medical record. When an episode of 
health care is to be documented by videotape (e.g., surgical 
procedures, medical evaluation, or telemedicine consultation), the 
patient must provide written consent for the taping (unless the 
consultation is for the documentation of abuse or neglect). Consent 
should be done if the person can be identified. The episode of care 
should be documented in accordance with standard operating procedures 
(official written and/or electronic records). The videotape should be 
erased after standard documentation is complete, unless the videotape 
is required for a specified interval for a specific reason (e.g., 
documentation of procedures in preparation for board certification, or 
documentation of abuse/neglect). The provider should indicate in final 
documentation whether or not the image was erased, or where the 
videotape will be maintained.
    Exceptions to the prohibition against retaining videotapes may be 
permitted for cases with educational value. Tapes are not filed by any 
type of personal identifier. If they are, then all Privacy Act 
regulations should be followed. Any agency which chooses to keep such 
images on file for educational purposes must develop appropriate 
policies and standard operating procedures.
    These guidelines do not apply to electronic images such as 
radiographs and digital photographs, for which documentation processes 
are already in place.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this guideline. Comments should refer to the guideline by name and 
should be sent to: CDR Steven S. Kerrick; National Naval Medical 
Center, Department of Opthamology, Bethesda, MD 20889-5000.

    Dated: November 16, 1999.
CDR Steven S. Kerrick,
Chairperson, Interagency Committee on Medical Records.
[FR Doc. 99-31514 Filed 12-3-99; 8:45 am]
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