Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Health Records

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Health Records

Introduction

The health electronic records work involves the use of health information technology to improve the healthcare system affectivity, time and cost saving of the patient. The adoption to the electronic health records by the physicians is not too old in the USA; therefore there are no reliable national studies up till now on the estimation of healthcare records. However the national coordination for health information technology, Department of Health and other agencies have started work to determine accurate information and issues presence related to its usage (DesRoches M. Catherine et al., 2008). The issues to barriers in the adoption include the capital cost, legal issues, technical issues, financial issues, customer identification data theft, and security breaches etc. The policies should be developed to encounter the legal issues which include the privacy of the healthcare records policy, quality authenticity of the health data, liability based on tort, empowerment of the patient to access his information, security protection issues, involvement of national data base authority (Hodge G. James et al., 1999). Limited financial resources are another issue to use and implementation of the technology. Lack of finance or incentives to start new programs will lead to the slow adoption to the EHR software/hardware adoption. These issues related to the use of improper electronic health record creates hindrance in the facilitation process (Stoten, S. (2009). The recommendations for the improvement of the electronic health record involve the improved standards, pre planned, carefully applied processes, and attainment of authenticity and secure health care (DesRoches, 2008).

Discussion

Current policy issues overview

The electronic wellbeing care system is a more sophisticated system having health records issues which relates to patient privacy and data security. The electronic health records involve the legal challenges related to the privacy, reliability, quality and liability of the data. Government and private agencies are working on the development of strategies related to the current issues of patient privacy maintenance and data security, allow the patient to the extent to share (Dinev & Hart, 2006). OEDC has designed policies related to electronic health records to reduce the data transfer issues within the health systems (DesRoches, 2008).

Background of the policy

The background behind policies design is in relation to the difficulties in the quick access to patient data, for instance patient when reaches the emergency department and unable to communicate with the healthcare professional and problem arise in the determination of current issues and past medical history and avoid serious medical error and adverse health outcomes. Then the need of electronic health record was desperately felt. After the policy's implementation, the main concern is related to the use of the policies, which includes an inappropriate information release from the organization. Secondly systemic flow monitoring of information in between healthcare systems and industries is also another concern.

Purpose for policy design

The purpose for the policy design is to control the unintentional or intentional release of data or organizational policies ...