April is Records and Information Management Month, and we wanted to recognize how records management has played a key role during the last year, especially as employees across many organizations have been asked to work from home due to the pandemic. Accordingly, this has posed the challenge to many companies to provide their employees with access to records needed to support their services. Organizations are recognizing the need for robust records management programs that are cost-efficient, have high security and allow for in-depth data analysis.
According to Managed Healthcare Executive, here are some best practices for ensuring a comprehensive records management program:
- Periodically review how far back records go. Dispose of records that are obsolete and older than any legally required retention period.
- Review the storage locations of any paper records for appropriateness and security. Look at opportunities for digitization.
- Eliminate duplicate copies of the same records being stored in multiple locations. Record duplication requires the use of greater amounts of storage space and increases the vulnerability of those records to a data breach, especially if they contain PHI.
- Use logical, structured and consistent file name conventions and folder hierarchies when using shared or personal drives.
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) also advises its agencies to be prepared to evaluate records related to COVID-19 for their operational or historical significance, with each agency evaluating the enduring value of the records they create specific to the COVID-19 crisis.
In addition, electronic records management (ERM) plays a vital role in business continuity when employees must access records from home during an outage. For example, during the recent winter storm in San Antonio, employees working from home still needed access to their regular working files. ERM systems allow your employees to continue working away from the office, while protecting your content through ABAC and RBAC permissions. Visit our website or call us today at (210) 495-1950 for more information about how we can assist you in your business operations.
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