Which statement is NOT true about the paper medical record?

Which statement is NOT true about the paper medical record?

• A. Can be easily destroyed
• B. Can be used for one task at a time
• C. Allows for duplication of information
• D. Permits easy tracking of those who access it

Answer: (D)

Paper medical records are physical documents, so they don’t come with built-in, automatic audit trails. There’s no inherent system that logs every person who opens or edits a chart. Any tracking depends on separate, manual processes (like sign-in logs or periodic audits), which are easy to miss or bypass. That’s why the statement about easy tracking of those who access it isn’t accurate for paper records. In contrast, the other points describe typical characteristics: paper records can be destroyed relatively easily with proper procedures, they’re usually used for one task at a time since staff handle one chart at a time, and information can be duplicated by copying or scanning.

Paper medical records are physical documents, so they don’t come with built-in, automatic audit trails. There’s no inherent system that logs every person who opens or edits a chart. Any tracking depends on separate, manual processes (like sign-in logs or periodic audits), which are easy to miss or bypass. That’s why the statement about easy tracking of those who access it isn’t accurate for paper records.

In contrast, the other points describe typical characteristics: paper records can be destroyed relatively easily with proper procedures, they’re usually used for one task at a time since staff handle one chart at a time, and information can be duplicated by copying or scanning.