Carbon Message

Question: We currently document our telephone messages on a carbon message pad. Do we need to keep the copy? And, if so, for how long? Is putting just the original in the chart sufficient?

Answer: What do you do with the copy? Is it just used to get the message to the physician or nurse? Don’t they want the chart anyway?

To answer your question, documenting the call and your response in the chart is sufficient. You need not retain the copy.

But make sure you aren’t paying for carbons and complicating the process for no good reason.