Regina

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Regina

Back Pain Specialists and Medical Shredding: Why It’s Essential

  Apr 1, 2024

According to a survey, 50% of all Americans who are employed, about 80 million workers, claim to have back pain every year. 

These stats are not surprising considering the level of burden the spine has to tolerate because of a sedentary lifestyle, high levels of stress, accidents, and bone weakness. 

Most of the time, people like to undergo heat therapy, and rest, or have a painkiller that provides short-term relief. 

So, when exactly should one consult a back pain specialist or an orthopedic, or a physiotherapist? 

If the pain persists for a week or the backache becomes severe, visiting a back pain specialist is a good idea. 

Their detailed diagnosis provides complete treatment and recovery of the spine. Moreover, your health record is secure with them which could be given for medical shredding after a specific period. 

This article will help you understand the signs of chronic back pain and the benefits of consulting a specialist. 

You will also know about the best practices for medical document shredding and its importance for maintaining patient confidentiality. 

The Benefits of Seeking Specialized Help for Back Pain

Treatment for spinal issues should never be neglected and seeking specialized help can provide quick recovery. 

Back pain that becomes a chronic condition may last for more than 12 weeks. But before it becomes severe, it’s relevant to visit a back pain specialist.

Here are the benefits of consulting an orthopedic who can diagnose the symptoms and the exact cause of the back pain. 

Pain Relief 

Longer delay in visiting a back pain specialist can aggravate the symptoms causing more harm to the back. The correct diagnosis and treatment at a physiotherapist provide quick relief from the pain. 

Improved Quality of Life

A person cannot function properly with a backache. Once the treatment of back pain starts, the results show gradually, which improves the quality of life. 

Better Mobility and Function

The spine is the support system of the human body and with a flexible back, it becomes easier to move around, twist, walk, and function normally. 

Targeted Treatment Plan

The back pain specialist conducts several tests and X-rays before recommending a treatment plan. This alleviates the pain through targeted treatment as per the condition of the spine. 

DO YOU KNOW?
Overweight people and women over 30 years of age are the most at risk of developing chronic pain in the lower back.

6 Signs that You Need a Back Pain Specialist

When to Visit a Back Pain Specialist

“Technically I am still young but according to my back pain I am 93.” 

Severe back pain makes you feel older than you are because your mobility decreases. It does not take much time for back pain to become chronic unless you take timely preventive measures including visiting a spine specialist. 

Below are the six signs that indicate you need a back pain specialist. 

  • Inability to perform everyday activities
    • Whether you have a desk job or a physically active life, the consistent pain has made it impossible to perform everyday activities like bending to pick something. 
  • Restricted movement
    • You are constantly in pain while standing, sitting, or walking making it difficult for you to perform any task efficiently. 
  • Recurring pain episodes
    • The overall movement has become restricted to sitting or sleeping as there are recurring painful episodes disrupting your daily life. 
  • Prolonged duration
    • After applying heat or cold therapy, lotions, and other pain-relieving methods, your back still hurts after 2 weeks. 
  • Impacting sleep
    • Due to discomfort, you experience trouble sleeping properly impacting your mood and increasing stress throughout the day. 
  • Neurological symptoms
    • The nerves in your back have been impacted and, therefore there is greater anxiety about making informed decisions. 

Each diagnosis and its procedure is conducted meticulously and everything is recorded in a patient’s file including test reports and medications recommended. 

Below we look at the government guidelines every physician and hospital follows to preserve the patient’s medical records. 

Later these documents can be disposed of carefully called medical document shredding. 

Medical Shredding for Ensuring Patient Confidentiality

While having a patient’s medical history is relevant during regular checkups, it is also difficult to manage them. 

To maintain adequate office space, documents are ethically and securely disposed of through the procedure of medical shredding. 

Since they contain confidential information about the patient, the hospitals and clinics are liable to destroy these reports properly. 

Why is Medical Document Shredding Needed for Healthcare Providers?

What is HIPAA Compliance?

As per the federal law – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) – every medical institution is legally bound to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without their consent.  

Healthcare organizations need the medical document shredding process carefully for the following reasons: 

  • The huge number of patient records pile up in the office and take up significant space. 
  • By disposing of the reports, the health institutes comply with the privacy laws and avoid hefty fines from the government. 
  • It maintains the hospital’s reputation as being responsible for the complete privacy of the patient with a robust security and management system.
  • It reduces the risks of unauthorized access to numerous patient’s data. 

The graph below shows the global paper shredder market growth forecast from 2022 to 2029. 

Global Paper Shredder Market Growth Forecast from 2022-2029.

Best Practices for Shredding Medical Records

The HIPAA regulations extend to securing the complete disposal of all patient records, and it can be done in a secure location.  

Either the hospital or an offshore site can also be hired for medical document shredding. Other methods of disposal are pulverizing or pulping of records. 

The shredder works best as all the information is unreadable and therefore cannot be reused in any way. 

Moreover, as per the HIPAA rules, physical proof of certification of destruction should also be issued after the shredding completion. 

Selecting the Right Shredding Service for Your Medical Practice

Though it may look easy, not every service provider is as experienced in complete medical shredding procedures.

  • A reputable shredding provider will be HIPAA compliance technology machines and client confidentiality agreements. 
  • Positive customer references and reviews also ensure quality service and efficiency. 
  • The employees of the shredding company should be trustworthy and well-trained and understand the nature of the documents they are dealing with. 
  • They should also have a chain of custody documents for tracking the documents during destruction. 
  • If the shredding company has associations with The National Association of Information Destruction (NAID), they are complying with the highest industry standards for shredding and disposal of confidential information. 

Conclusion

Back pain and its symptoms can be acute or chronic depending on the burden you are putting on the spine. 

It’s always better to visit a back pain specialist in case the ache is consistent for more than 2 weeks. 

As you go through the physiotherapy and other spine treatments, your medical records are kept safe with the hospital or the clinic. 

These records can be disposed of later as per the patient’s consent and HIPAA guidelines in a secure method by hiring the right shredding service. 




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