Electronic Medical Records

Electronic Medical Records

Privacy, Confidentiality, Liability

Natalie Rabess-Denis

HCA 210

March 24, 2013

Professor Dalzell

Electronic medical records otherwise known by many health care professionals as EMR, is the new way to the future of protecting patients medical information. Records include a whole range of medical data in comprehensive or summary form, that includes the patients demographics, medical history, medications, lab results, vital signs, their age and weight, and billing information. The record holds the complete history of the patient which will allow the automation and streamlining of the workflow in health care settings and will help in the overall safety of patients’ through evidence-based decision support, quality management, and reporting. The article in which I chose to discuss came from The Journal of Legal Medicine that I found quite interesting. Key points that were discuss throughout the article are the pros and cons of having and electronic medical records system, it’s effects it will have on preventing errors in which it will saves lives and money, and the effects it has with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996(HIPPA).

Main issues highlighted in the article are the significance of the patient own medical record, the benefits of an electronic system, the risks of an electronic system, the affect that an electronic medical records will have on HIPPA, the governments decisions on dealing with the electronic storage of patient information, the priority of insuring patient health care more accessible and affordable to them, and the testing and trials of implementing an electronic medical record process within health care.

Electronic medical records affect health care delivery by making the workload more efficient, it makes it easier to access than pulling paper files, give doctors instant access to patient’s overall treatments and care over time, test results and medications. Having medical...