Electronic medical Records paper
Safety in Electronic Medical Records
Bettyann Pidcoe
HCA 210
September 7, 2014
Andrea Engle
Confidentiality in Electronic Medical Records In the health care industry patient medical records has gradually moved from paper to the computer as electronic medical records (EMR). In past years doctors kept patient health records in file folders in cabinets that took up a great deal of room in the office. The advancements in health care technology have changed the way patients and doctors are communicating and the way patient medical records are stored and handled. Electronic medical records is a fairly new way of keeping patients medical records in one place, organized, and readily available. EMRs contain every component of a patient’s medical history, test, lab results, vital signs, height, weight, and billing information. EMRs help reduce errors made by physicians with the ability to: electronically send prescriptions to pharmacies, examine patient health records in real-time, electronic reminders for labs and vaccinations, and access to read lab results to make an informed diagnosis. With the implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the handling of electronic medical records has changed to give patients “access and control over their medical records, while still protecting the privacy of individual identifiable health information” (Richards, 2009, p. 550).
Margaret Richards, director of Child Psychology at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, discusses some key issues relating to confidentiality and management in implementing electronic medical records. Key issues include HIPAA privacy rule, EMR benefits, disadvantages of EMR, the importance of discussing the privacy of EMRs with patients and employees, as well as what types of information to document. The benefits of electronic medical records outweighs the disadvantages; benefits include the “ability to improve efficiency, decrease medical errors, and
Bettyann Pidcoe
HCA 210
September 7, 2014
Andrea Engle
Confidentiality in Electronic Medical Records In the health care industry patient medical records has gradually moved from paper to the computer as electronic medical records (EMR). In past years doctors kept patient health records in file folders in cabinets that took up a great deal of room in the office. The advancements in health care technology have changed the way patients and doctors are communicating and the way patient medical records are stored and handled. Electronic medical records is a fairly new way of keeping patients medical records in one place, organized, and readily available. EMRs contain every component of a patient’s medical history, test, lab results, vital signs, height, weight, and billing information. EMRs help reduce errors made by physicians with the ability to: electronically send prescriptions to pharmacies, examine patient health records in real-time, electronic reminders for labs and vaccinations, and access to read lab results to make an informed diagnosis. With the implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the handling of electronic medical records has changed to give patients “access and control over their medical records, while still protecting the privacy of individual identifiable health information” (Richards, 2009, p. 550).
Margaret Richards, director of Child Psychology at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, discusses some key issues relating to confidentiality and management in implementing electronic medical records. Key issues include HIPAA privacy rule, EMR benefits, disadvantages of EMR, the importance of discussing the privacy of EMRs with patients and employees, as well as what types of information to document. The benefits of electronic medical records outweighs the disadvantages; benefits include the “ability to improve efficiency, decrease medical errors, and