What records are podiatrists required to maintain for patients, and for what general duration should they be kept?

• A. Comprehensive medical records including history, examination findings, diagnoses, treatments, medications, informed consent, imaging, and correspondence, kept securely and retained for the period required by board rules (often several years beyond last visit), with special rules for minors.
• B. Only billing records kept for five years.
• C. Verbal notes kept in a notebook.
• D. Operative reports only.

Answer: (A)

Records must capture the full picture of patient care. Podiatrists are required to maintain comprehensive medical records that include the patient’s history, examination findings, diagnoses, treatment plans, medications, informed consent, imaging, and related correspondence. These records must be kept securely and retained for the period set by board rules, which is often several years beyond the last visit, with special retention rules for minors. This level of documentation ensures continuous, safe patient care, proper continuity between providers, and legal/regulatory protection. Keeping only billing records, or relying on verbal notes or just operative reports, would miss essential clinical and consent information and would not meet the board’s requirements.