What term is used for records that are not completed within the designated timeframe?

The term "delinquent records" specifically refers to those health records that have not been completed within the established timeframe set by policy or regulation. In a healthcare setting, timely completion of medical records is crucial for ensuring accurate and comprehensive patient care, facilitates billing processes, and meets regulatory standards. When records are labeled as delinquent, it indicates that there has been a failure to finalize them in a prompt manner, which can also have implications for compliance and quality assurance. This terminology is commonly used in medical records management to flag outstanding documents requiring immediate attention to adhere to legal and clinical standards.

The other terms listed have different meanings: "incomplete records" might suggest that records are missing certain elements but not necessarily late, "inactive records" typically refers to records that are no longer in current use but have not been destroyed, and "pending records" might indicate documents that are awaiting additional information or signatures but do not specifically denote the overdue nature of completion. Therefore, the use of "delinquent records" precisely encapsulates the issue of timeliness in record completion.