The electronic medical record allows for an elevate level of treatment for a patient now that their medical history is now accessible to their treating healthcare provider with a click of the mouse. Although this technology can lead to a quicker diagnosis and cross-collaboration of providers, there remain some potential pitfalls. For this week’s written assignment, in a 1-2 page paper, research potential issues with the use of electronic medical records? Discuss the issues and define the problems. Provide applicable prevention tips to the issues. Finally, in your opinion, do you think that these issues can be 100% eliminated? Why or why not.
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Introduction: Electronic medical records (EMR) have revolutionized the way healthcare providers offer care to their patients. However, with this technology comes potential issues that need to be addressed to ensure that the electronic records are secure, private and accurate. In this written assignment, we will discuss potential issues with the use of electronic medical records and provide applicable prevention tips to the issues. We will also provide an opinion on whether or not we think that these issues can be 100% eliminated.
Answer: Potential issues with the use of electronic medical records include data breaches, user errors and loss of data due to system failures. A data breach can occur when unauthorized personnel gain access to the electronic medical records system. User error can occur when healthcare providers input incorrect data or mistakenly misplace data. System failures can occur due to technological issues such as power outages, internet connectivity issues or software glitches. These issues can lead to patient data being unintentionally disclosed or permanently deleted, resulting in a loss of data and compromised patient care.
To prevent these issues, it is essential to have effective security measures such as strong passwords, multifactor authentication and access controls. Additionally, healthcare providers must undergo regular training to understand the importance of proper data entries and how to handle the electronic medical records system in case of system failures.
In our opinion, these issues cannot be 100% eliminated as there is always a margin of human error in any system. However, these issues can be minimized with proper training, awareness and implementation of security measures. As technology advances, we are hopeful that the electronic medical records system will continue to improve, resulting in better patient care.
