The Pros And Cons Of Electronic Healthcare Records

Use of an EHR presents major opportunities for the compromise of patient’s personal health information (PHI). The facility must ensure proper safe guards are implemented and functioning properly at all times. Employees need to be educated on the safety measures to prevent breach of patient confidential health records. Privacy breaches can result from misuse or improper storage of PHI by the healthcare professional, by third party payers, or by lack of proper encryption in the EHR system itself (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2014). The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a law that holds healthcare facilities and professionals accountable for keeping PHI confidential, patients to control

With the enthusiasm for health information technology, potential risks and problems associated with electronic health records have received far less attention. Three fundamental security goals are essential to EHR systems: confidentiality, integrity and availability (Haas e26). Patients lose the protection of implied trust domain of medical institutions due to their medical record maintenance performed by non-medical enterprises (e27). Depending on the paradigm, enabling access to an increased number of users poses threats to security and privacy.

But with the benefits there are also the risk factors. Some disadvantages of the EHR system would include; initial cost of planning and implementing an EHR system, lack of standardization across the healthcare setting, unauthorized access to patient information (security and privacy), inaccurate patient information if not updated properly, technical downtimes, potential negligence for data loss and possible patient access to conditions that they don’t comprehend which may panic them.

In this paper we identify security risks surrounding Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and discuss strategies healthcare providers can employ to mitigate those risks. We begin with a brief overview of the legislative history driving the rapid adoption of EMR and other health information technology.

HIPAA increasingly dominates the nursing landscape. Safeguarding private patient information is not just important. It is becoming more technical with the introduction of Electronic Medical Records (EMR), training on the technology, safeguarding EMR and the complications of outsourcing of EMR management to contractors.

The Electronic Health Record system has been transforming healthcare in many different ways. Although technology offers the medical field some advantages, there are also drawbacks to be concerned about.

As the healthcare industry moves forward with electronic records, the need for security increases as well. Electronic health records allow individual data breaches to involve thousands or millions of records, rather than the few paper records a thief can physically carry.

Have you noticed recently most every time you go to the doctor, the nurse and or doctor come in with a laptop or tablet and are typing away as you answer their questions? As your nurse or doctor are asking you questions they are updating your EHR, or Electronic Health Records. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health enacted under The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, led to financial incentives for those who could demonstrate meaningful use of the EHR technology. Now more than 80 percent of physicians keep some version of an electronic health record for their patients. What is an Electronic Health Record you ask? An EHR is a technology that allows a health-care provider to record, access, as well as

Along with the security requirements placed on the EHR, Health Insurance Portability and Accountably Act (HIPAA), and MU, health care providers should also exercise safety measures in accessing, processing, and disposing patient healthcare records to promote trust and protect patients’ privacy. Users must also practice logging out of their computers to keep the patient’s records out of public view. In addition, providers can inform the public on the real threat of identity thefts and suggest practical measures to prevent the attacks. For example, Hall and McGraw (2014) pointed that in telehealth, authentication and encryption are needed to ensure privacy, but other mobile application with file sharing can breach the health information. Because of this, Hall and McGraw (2014) proposed health care leaders to advocate for patients to influence a federal policy, authorizing security innovation on this technology. That is also why in many hospitals, employees are advised not to readily open files that are unknown, suspicious, and without the proper web address. In addition, information technology experts are vigilant to provide cyber tips and updates to

This paper will identify the use of Electronic Health Records and how nursing plays an important role. Emerging in the early 2000’s, utilizing Electronic Health Records have quickly become a part of normal practice. An EHR could help prevent dangerous medical mistakes, decrease in medical costs, and an overall improvement in medical care. Patients are often taking multiple medications, forget to mention important procedures/diagnoses to providers, and at times fail to follow up with providers. Maintaining an EHR could help tack data, identify patients who are due for preventative screenings and visits, monitor VS, & improve overall quality of care in a practice. Nurse informaticists play an important role in the

In a world full of electronics it would only seem logical to have health records electronic. Not only are medical records efficient, reliable, and quick to access, new technology allow patients to access their own personal medical records with a simple to use login and password. “People are asking whether any kind of electronic records can be made safe. If one is looking for a 100% privacy guarantee, the answer is no”(Thede, 2010). At my hospital, upon every admission we ask the patient for a password for friends and family to have to have if they would like an update on the patient 's condition. We do not let visitors come up and see the patient without the patient 's consent. In doing these things, we help to ensure the safety and protection of the patient 's health information and privacy.

Connie’s vision is come true and electronic and digital systems are becoming more and more integrated in our healthcare system and virtually all aspects of our life. However, all networking and data sharing are potentially vulnerable to security and breach including nursing data. The responsibility that healthcare providers have to protect and safeguard their patients from harm extends to protecting and securing the privacy and confidentiality of patient shared data (Andriole, 2014). Patient privacy and security of medical information are critical and essential in establishing a mutual nurse-patient trust. NI needs to step up efforts to increase patient’s electronic data security and

When an organization decides to implement any health information technology such as Electronic Health Records (EHR), it is crucial to select appropriate software for better health outcome and follow the federal and state privacy, security regulations, and guidance. The organization has to develop standards and policies to build a stronger business operation and guidance to the workforce to protect the security and the integrity of the EHR. The employees should be made aware that they are responsible for keeping the EHR confidential, secure and private (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2016)).

Health care has an obligation to protect patient information and make sure that their information is only accessed by those involved in the patient’s care or by those whose job requires them to access that information. The purpose of this paper is to review the intent of the electronic heath record (EHR) along with the mandates related to them and review the steps on how to implement EHR. I will relate meaningful use, which is one of the steps of implementing an electronic health record, and how my own facility is attaining it. I will also discuss HIPAA laws and how patient confidentiality could be threatened by improperly using EHR.

Electronic health records (EHRs) are essential to improving patient safety. An electronic health record is an electronic version of a patient’s medical history typed and stored on a computer or some electronic database. It would include general information about the person in question (e.g:age,gender,weight,height.), information about the patient with regards any current or previous medical conditions, allergies, treatments, medications, prescriptions, immunizations, x-ray/lab reports and any general doctor’s/nurse’s notes and reports on previous assessments throughout the patient’s lifetime. (Cms.gov, 2016.) Health records contain such a vast amount of information about a person and it is believed storing them in electronic