Inactive records are described as:

Inactive records are considered as those that are no longer actively used for patient care but may still hold important historical or legal value. When describing inactive records, it is accurate to state that they are typically sent for destruction after a certain retention period has been met, according to organizational policies and applicable laws.

This process ensures that records are securely disposed of while maintaining compliance with regulations governing health information management. Inactive records generally do not contribute to immediate patient care decisions, which differentiates them from required active records. They can remain filed until the decision to destroy them is made, but that alone does not define them as inactive. Mandating destruction by legislation may pertain to specific types of records, but the general procedure for inactive records involves a planned destruction process.