The Electronic Medical Record

In a healthcare world that operates on stringent budgets and margins, we begin to see the need for a higher capacity healthcare delivery system. This in turn puts pressure on the healthcare organizations to ensure higher standards of patient care, and compliance with the reform provisions. However, these are the harsh realities of today’s healthcare environment, a setting in which value does not always equal quality. The use of technology can help to amend some of this by providing higher capacity care without compromising quality; this can be done with the use of such technology as electronic health records (EHRs). This paper will aim to address how EHRs influence healthcare today by expanding upon topics such as funding sources, reimbursement methods, economic factors, socioeconomic factors, business influences, and cost containment.

One of the main ethical issues that faces health care is the security of patient information. This information is protected by laws and regulations such as HIPPA, but there are still concerns Scott, et al, 2005). Among those concerns is the new concept of electronic patient records and information. These records are designed to help hospitals and doctors get patient information more quickly, so that patients can receive treatment as soon as possible. Unfortunately, anything kept and transmitted on a computer has the potential to be hacked, so that is a serious concern for patients. Not all patients want their medical records to be available electronically, but they may not have too many options (Romano & Stafford, 2010). Opting out may not be an option for them, and if they do have that option it could reduce the speed and quality of treatment that these patients would receive. Do they want to risk that, just so they can feel as though their medical information is better protected?

Recent developments in technology have changed the delivery of health care and the system used to record and retrieve health information. In addition to using paper medical records, healthcare professionals, hospitals and insurers routinely use computers, phones, faxes, and other methods or recording and transferring information. In many instances, this information - which could include medical diagnoses, prescriptions, or insurance information - is readily available to anyone (including clerical and other staff) who walks by a fax machine or logs on to a computer. This lack of privacy has the potential to undermine patients' relationships with providers and adversely affect the quality of care. Patients may also fear that the exposure of personal health information, including the results of genetic tests that are becoming increasing available, could result in the loss or denial of health insurance, job discrimination or personal embarrassment.

Healthcare can be known for a complex industry. Every day is a new day facing complicated clinical administrative transactions with electronic medical records and safety? Health Information technology is suppose to realize errors using electronic medical records. Leaders must understand the complexity and safety issues in order to help mandate electronic medical records with design, development, implement and use. In the last decade, this article has informed executives, clinicians, and technology. Their main focus was on these three areas computerized physicians order entry. Their main focus was to work all three areas computer physician order entry, computer decision support system,

The U.S strives for an ethically health care system. There are many examples that prove that the law will fall behind ethics. One example that demonstrates an issue in healthcare that presents legal and ethical considerations is the use of electronic medical records (EMR). EMRs several as several challenges to patient’s privacy, EMR are set to provide data only to those health care provider that

In the modern world technology is everywhere and it affects everyone’s daily life. People are constantly attached to cell phones, laptops, and other electronics, which all have affected how people live their lives. Technology is also a large part of the healthcare system today. There are many electronics and technologies that are used in health care, such as electronic health record, medication bar code scanning, electronic documentation, telenursing, and there are many more forms of technology that impact nursing. One technology that stands out is the electronic health record. The electronic health record, also referred to as EHR, is an electronic version of a patient’s chart, and it contains is a list of the patient’s current medications, allergies, laboratory results, diagnoses, immunization dates, images, treatments, and medical history (“Learn EHR Basics,” 2014). The purpose of the electronic health record is to have a patient’s health care record available to health care providers nationwide, but the patient can decide who has access to their record (Edwards, Chiweda, Oyinka, McKay, & Wiles, 2011). The electronic health record is a very important technology in health care and it impacts nurses, nursing care, and has a significant impact on patient outcomes.

As the healthcare landscape continues to shift and evolve, public health departments find themselves facing numerous complex challenges. This makes it imperative that local health departments and individual providers work together to improve the health of their communities.

In the modern world technology is everywhere and it affects everyone’s daily life. People are constantly attached to cell phones, laptops, and other electronics, which all have affected how people live their lives. Technology is also a large part of the healthcare system today. There are many electronics and technologies that are used in health care such as electronic health record, medication bar code scanning, electronic documentation, telenursing, and there are many more forms of technology that impact nursing. One technology that stands out is the electronic health record. The electronic health record, also referred to as EHR, is an electronic version of a patient’s chart and it contains is a list of the patient’s

Throughout the years, the growth and development of technology has been on an unprecedented level that very few have expected. Advancements in technology have allowed for great leaps and bounds in subjects such as how people communicate or the ability to 3D print organs. With this progress in technology comes along a change in how things are done in all areas of different industries. Specifically, in the healthcare field, the advancement in technology has developed the processing and organizing of health records. This has allowed for a more efficient method of dealing with patient data and history. Information technology is a newly implemented system that allows doctors and health care providers to easily access patient history. Although health information technology has many rewards, “medical informatics is rich with ethical issues…privacy and confidentiality, risks of bias and discrimination, the danger of scientific and clinical hubris, the erosion of cherished relationships, and the degradation of precious skills.” (Curtin, 2005, p. 1). In this essay, we will specifically be discussing what health information technology is as well was what the advantages, disadvantages and ethical issues are when using information technology in the healthcare field.

Even before electronic medical records became available, there was interest in encouraging patients to review their medical records. In doing so, researchers sought to educate, engage, and empower patients. At the same time, researchers recognized that the medical record contains technical language and raw data that was never intended for the layman, so the medical record might also worry or confuse patients. Clinical trials that gave medical patients access to their written records showed modest benefits (such as improved doctor-patient communication) with minimal risk of harm. (Ross, Moore, Earnest, Wittevrongel, & Lin 2004, page1).

Privacy and confidentiality are basic rights in our society. Safeguarding those rights, with respect to an individual’s personal health information, is our ethical and legal obligation as health care providers. Doing so in today’s health care environment is increasingly challenging (OJIN, 2005).

There is a lack of economic information related to establishing, implementing and sustaining the discharge navigation program. It was very difficult to get the project financed. Initially it was difficult to obtain top leadership support for the financing of the program.

As expressed by Arnold & Boggs (2011) “the use of electronic medical records and storage of personal health information in computer databases has reinforced attention on issues of ethics, security, privacy and confidentiality” (p. 503). Other problem with the electronic medical records is that since there are many options in which

The correlation of increased potential patient rights violations and sensitive personal health data among electronic medical records than paper records is growing at an alarming rate. An estimated 52,000 public comments was reviewed by the Department of Health and Human Services requiring privacy regulations governing individually identifiable health information since the passage of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1966 (HIPPA). The individually identifiable health information includes demographic data that relates to the individuals past, present, or future physical or mental health condition. In addition, the provision of health care rights of the individual, confidentiality, protection of

Before health information technology (HIT) was implemented, there were a number of challenges faced through the paper record system. Few of the challenges were: illegible hand written notes, medical errors, and delays in accessing medical information. The paradigm shift in HIT has mostly eradicated or minimized these issues. However, it has brought another concern, which was the privacy issue when dealing with PHI. According to Rothstein, privacy in healthcare “refers to the ability of an individual to prevent certain disclosers of personal health information to any other person or entity” (2007).