Ask HRC: How Long Are Outpatient Radiology Orders Valid?
March 19, 2018 | Health System Risk Management
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A Healthcare Risk Control(HRC) member recently asked for references to a regulation or standard that specifies how long an outpatient radiology order remains valid, or whether such a determination should be based on individual hospital policy.
In our response, HRCwas unable to identify any law, regulation, or accreditation standard stating a specific time requirement related to when an order should expire or "go stale." Likewise, we found no general statutory or regulatory definition of a physician order.
A physician order serves the following purposes: (1) communicating directives regarding the medical care and treatment of the patient; (2) demonstrating that the care...