Scanning paper records turns boxes of files into searchable, backed-up digital copies you can pull up in seconds, and in some cases you can securely destroy the paper afterwards. Whether you can depends on the type of record. For business tax records, the CRA accepts images as your permanent records if they’re produced to the national standard (CAN/CGSB-72.34). If you can’t meet that standard, you have to keep the paper originals. For medical charts and legal files, check with your regulator before destroying anything.
Why organizations digitize
- Space. Filing cabinets and storage rooms go back to being rooms.
- Retrieval. An indexed digital file is found in seconds instead of hours, from anywhere you’re allowed to work.
- Resilience. One copy of a paper file can be lost, damaged or misfiled. A properly backed-up digital copy is far harder to lose.
- Control. It’s easier to restrict who sees a file, and to see who did, than it is with paper in a cabinet.
What makes a scan trustworthy
A scan is only useful if it can stand in for the paper. The CRA’s guidance on imaging asks that the image accurately reproduce the paper document, carry the same information, and not hide significant details through poor resolution or tone. In practice that means:
- Clear, consistent image quality, checked rather than assumed.
- Indexing. Files named and organized so people can actually find them: by client, patient, matter, year or whatever fits how you work.
- Searchability. Text that can be searched, not just a picture of a page.
- A documented process, so you can show how the images were made.
Can you shred the paper afterwards?
- Business and tax records: the CRA says that if you image your books of account and supporting documents to the national standard (CAN/CGSB-72.34), the images serve as the permanent record and you may destroy the paper. If you can’t meet that standard, keep the originals. If you have any doubt, the CRA recommends getting legal advice first. See our post on how long to keep business records.
- Medical charts: the CPSO’s records policy doesn’t spell out when paper originals can be destroyed after scanning, so check with the College or the CMPA before you shred. Retention periods apply to the record whether it’s on paper or on screen.
- Legal files: check your law society’s rules before destroying originals.
- Either way: don’t shred until the scans have been verified, and keep a Record of Destruction when you do.
Protect the digital copy
Digital records need the same care as paper. Back them up, test that backups can be restored, and keep storage media away from heat, moisture and magnetic fields. The CRA expects you to be able to give its officials access to electronic records on request, even when an outside company holds them for you. And if you use a scanning provider for health records, the CPSO reminds physicians that they remain responsible for the work and recommends a written agreement with the provider.
Should you scan in-house or use a scanning company?
For a small backlog or new documents, in-house scanning can work. For a large back catalogue, an office closing or confidential records, a specialist is usually faster, more consistent and easier to hold accountable. We cover the trade-offs in In-House Scanning vs. Hiring a Scanning Company.
Questions to ask a scanning provider
- How are scans checked for quality, and what happens to pages that fail?
- How will files be indexed and delivered, and can I search them?
- Where do my paper records go during and after scanning, and who has access to them?
- Can you securely shred the originals when I’m ready, and give me a Record of Destruction?
- Is there a written agreement covering privacy and security?
How Records Management Ltd. approaches it
We pick up your paper files, scan them into clear, searchable digital records, index them so they’re easy to find, and give you a digital copy. When you’re ready, we can securely shred the originals, or store them in our secure, climate-controlled facility if you need to keep them. Medical practices moving from paper to an EMR can talk to us about scanning charts so they can be brought into the EMR, with the paper stored off-site if needed.
Thinking about going digital? Get a quote for scanning.
Related reading
- Document scanning and storage services
- Secure shredding services
- Security and compliance
- Records management for accounting firms
- Records management for legal practices
Sources and further reading
- CRA: Acceptable format, imaging paper documents and backing up electronic files
- CPSO: Advice to the Profession: Medical Records Management
This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm what applies to your records with your accountant, regulator or lawyer.