Healthcare organizations set different requirements for retention periods for outpatient and inpatient records. The retention period for outpatient medical records should not be less than 15 years to ensure that doctors can refer to the historical records to provide more accurate diagnosis and treatment recommendations for patients in case of follow-up visits or medical disputes.
Inpatient medical records should be kept for no less than 30 years because they contain more detailed and comprehensive medical information, which is important for the long-term health management of patients and for medical research. Such a requirement helps ensure the integrity and sustainability of medical information.