§ 482.61 - Condition of participation: Special medical record requirements for psychiatric hospitals.

§ 482.61 Condition of participation: Special medical record requirements for psychiatric hospitals.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 25637, May 1, 2020.

The medical records maintained by a psychiatric hospital must permit determination of the degree and intensity of the treatment provided to individuals who are furnished services in the institution.

(a) Standard: Development of assessment/diagnostic data. Medical records must stress the psychiatric components of the record, including history of findings and treatment provided for the psychiatric condition for which the patient is hospitalized.

(1) The identification data must include the patient's legal status.

(2) A provisional or admitting diagnosis must be made on every patient at the time of admission, and must include the diagnoses of intercurrent diseases as well as the psychiatric diagnoses.

(3) The reasons for admission must be clearly documented as stated by the patient and/or others significantly involved.

(4) The social service records, including reports of interviews with patients, family members, and others, must provide an assessment of home plans and family attitudes, and community resource contacts as well as a social history.

(5) When indicated, a complete neurological examination must be recorded at the time of the admission physical examination.

(b) Standard: Psychiatric evaluation. Each patient must receive a psychiatric evaluation that must -

(1) Be completed within 60 hours of admission;

(2) Include a medical history;

(3) Contain a record of mental status;

(4) Note the onset of illness and the circumstances leading to admission;

(5) Describe attitudes and behavior;

(6) Estimate intellectual functioning, memory functioning, and orientation; and

(7) Include an inventory of the patient's assets in descriptive, not interpretative, fashion.

(c) Standard: Treatment plan.

(1) Each patient must have an individual comprehensive treatment plan that must be based on an inventory of the patient's strengths and disabilities. The written plan must include -

(i) A substantiated diagnosis;

(ii) Short-term and long-range goals;

(iii) The specific treatment modalities utilized;

(iv) The responsibilities of each member of the treatment team; and

(v) Adequate documentation to justify the diagnosis and the treatment and rehabilitation activities carried out.

(2) The treatment received by the patient must be documented in such a way to assure that all active therapeutic efforts are included.

(d) Standard: Recording progress. Progress notes for the patient must be documented, in accordance with applicable State scope-of-practice laws and hospital policies, by the following qualified practitioners: Doctor(s) of medicine or osteopathy, or other licensed practitioner(s), who is responsible for the care of the patient; nurse(s) and social worker(s) (or social service staff) involved in the care of the patient; and, when appropriate, others significantly involved in the patient's active treatment modalities. The frequency of progress notes is determined by the condition of the patient but must be recorded at least weekly for the first 2 months and at least once a month thereafter and must contain recommendations for revisions in the treatment plan as indicated, as well as precise assessment of the patient's progress in accordance with the original or revised treatment plan.

(e) Standard: Discharge planning and discharge summary. The record of each patient who has been discharged must have a discharge summary that includes a recapitulation of the patient's hospitalization and recommendations from appropriate services concerning follow-up or aftercare as well as a brief summary of the patient's condition on discharge.

(f) Standard: Electronic notifications. If the hospital utilizes an electronic medical records system or other electronic administrative system, which is conformant with the content exchange standard at 45 CFR 170.205(d)(2), then the hospital must demonstrate that -

(1) The system's notification capacity is fully operational and the hospital uses it in accordance with all State and Federal statutes and regulations applicable to the hospital's exchange of patient health information.

(2) The system sends notifications that must include at least patient name, treating practitioner name, and sending institution name.

(3) To the extent permissible under applicable federal and state law and regulations, and not inconsistent with the patient's expressed privacy preferences, the system sends notifications directly, or through an intermediary that facilitates exchange of health information, at the time of:

(i) The patient's registration in the hospital's emergency department (if applicable).

(ii) The patient's admission to the hospital's inpatient services (if applicable).

(4) To the extent permissible under applicable federal and state law and regulations, and not inconsistent with the patient's expressed privacy preferences, the system sends notifications directly, or through an intermediary that facilitates exchange of health information, either immediately prior to, or at the time of:

(i) The patient's discharge or transfer from the hospital's emergency department (if applicable).

(ii) The patient's discharge or transfer from the hospital's inpatient services (if applicable).

(5) The hospital has made a reasonable effort to ensure that the system sends the notifications to all applicable post-acute care services providers and suppliers, as well as to any of the following practitioners and entities, which need to receive notification of the patient's status for treatment, care coordination, or quality improvement purposes:

(i) The patient's established primary care practitioner;

(ii) The patient's established primary care practice group or entity; or

(iii) Other practitioner, or other practice group or entity, identified by the patient as the practitioner, or practice group or entity, primarily responsible for his or her care.

[72 FR 60788, Oct. 26, 2007, as amended at 84 FR 51821, Sept. 30, 2019; 85 FR 19292, Apr. 6, 2020; 85 FR 25637, May 1, 2020]