Introduction Of Electronic Health Records Policy

Introduction Of Electronic Health Records Policy

The introduction of electronic health records involves considerable changes in practices and regular operations of health care organizations and health care professionals, who deal with health records of patients. They deal with several challenges, including the lack of employee preparedness for using electronic health records, private information security of patients, and the reliability of electronic health records. The health care organization can overcome the challenges associated with the introduction of electronic health records by training of employees to make them come prepared to use electronic health records. Also, the health care organization should introduce the reliable information security system to ensure the high level of the private information security. Finally, the health care organization should employ IT professionals, who can monitor and control the functioning of the information security system and electronic health records to ensure their reliability and stability of their performance. Hence, the health care organization will be able to introduce electronic health records and maximize their benefit since they will improve the efficiency of health care services and improve the speed and quality of information processing.Introduction Of Electronic Health Records Policy

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At the moment, the health organization deals with the problem of the effective introduction of electronic health records because they open large opportunities for the delivery of health care services of the high quality due to the faster information processing and the delivery of health care to patients on the ground of the accurate information about their health history. The introduction of electronic health records involves considerable changes in practices and regular operations of health care organizations and health care professionals, who deal with health records of patients. Nevertheless, the successful introduction of electronic health records is possible, if the health care organization manages to address the key challenges and overcome them, including the problem of the private information security, technical preparedness of health care professionals working in the organization, and the reliability of electronic health records and information security system that maintains the normal and safe functioning of electronic health records.

Health care professionals have to deal with several challenges associated with the use of electronic health records, including the lack of employee preparedness for using electronic health records, private information security of patients, and the reliability of electronic health records. In fact, the preparedness of employees is a serious challenge because they will use electronic health records in their regular work. This means that they will have to make records as well as retrieve information from electronic health records to conduct the treatment of patients in a short-run as well as in a long-run perspective. The lack of professional skills may raise the problem of failure of employees to use electronic health records properly and safely. For example, health care professionals can fail to prevent information breaches or even provoke them by their inappropriate actions in regard to electronic health records. Health care professionals may simply fail to obtain the information from electronic health records, when they need to get it urgently, for example, if they are in the emergency unit and have to provide patients with intensive therapy.Introduction Of Electronic Health Records Policy

Another important issue that emerges after the introduction of electronic health records is the private information security of patients. In fact, like any other information system, electronic health records are naturally vulnerable to the risk of information breaches and other threats. The private information of clients may become available to the third party, if electronic health records are not protected enough and the information security system remains under-developed. The vulnerability of electronic health records makes patients exposed to numerous threats and risks, which may be harmful to them. For example, the revelation of the private health information of clients to insurance companies may have a considerable impact on their insurance plan to the extent that health insurance may become just unaffordable to patients (Papadouka, et al. S80). This is why the protection of the private information of clients should become the priority for the health care organization because patients are the major stakeholders, whose wellbeing should be the primary concern of the health care organization.

One more issue the health care organization has to come prepared to deal with is the reliability of electronic health records. The reliability of electronic health records means that electronic health records should run smoothly. They should not shut down and provide health care professionals with the information they need fast. In such a way, they can achieve positive effects from using electronic health records. However, if electronic health records are unreliable, they become virtually useless or even dangerous for the health care organization. For example, if health care records fail to save all the information about the patient health, then some important information may be just lost. Therefore, the health of the patient may be at risk or, at least, the effectiveness of the treatment of such a patient will decrease because health care professionals will not have all the information about his/her health condition and history.

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The health care organization can overcome the challenges associated with the introduction of electronic health records by training of employees to make them come prepared to use electronic health records. The training of employees will help employees to develop professional skills and abilities, which they require to use the full potential of electronic health records. They develop the essential experience of using new electronic health records and related set of skills. The professional development of employees will maximize the effectiveness of using electronic health records and minimize the risk of failures or errors made by health care professionals while using electronic health records. Training courses should enroll all health care professionals and provide them with ample opportunities to develop the required professional skills and abilities and to keep progressing to be able to use electronic health records effectively.Introduction Of Electronic Health Records Policy

Also, the health care organization should introduce the reliable information security system to ensure the high level of the private information security.  The introduction of the effective information security system is imperative. Otherwise, the health care organization can never be certain in the security of the private information of patients. Therefore, the information security system is essential to address numerous risks and threats associated with the use of electronic health records and current threats to the information security, such as information breaches, identity thefts, and others. The information security system will enhance the reliability and safety of electronic health records. In a combination with the training of health care professionals, who use electronic health records, the information security system can raise substantial and almost unsurpassable barriers on the way of intruders or cyber criminals.  At any rate, the information security system will secure the private information of patients and help electronic health records to be safe. In this regard, the health care organization may consider the possibility of outsourcing information security system because the development of its own information security system may be too costly and will require considerable investments into the further improvement of the system.

Finally, the health care organization should employ IT professionals, who can monitor and control the functioning of the information security system and electronic health records to ensure their reliability and stability of their performance. The employment of IT professionals will allow the organization to prevent or resolve issues associated with the malfunctioning of electronic health records fast. IT professionals will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of electronic health records performance. They will analyze possible threats and risks associated with the use of electronic health records and suggest changes that can improve the functioning of electronic health records or increase their reliability. IT professionals may also help health care professionals to develop their skills required for the work with electronic health records. They may also conduct the regular training for health care professionals, who use electronic health records in their regular work to teach them how to use new features of electronic health records or how to secure the private information of patients.Introduction Of Electronic Health Records Policy

Thus, the health care organization will be able to introduce electronic health records and maximize their benefit since they will improve the efficiency of health care services and improve the speed and quality of information processing. The aforementioned recommendations can contribute to the consistent improvement of the use of electronic health records and make their introduction an easy step toward the improvement of the quality and increase of the efficiency of health care services delivered to patients. The professional training of health care professionals, the introduction of the effective information security system, and the employment of IT professionals, who can monitor the performance of electronic health records and current threats, will help to address the key challenges, which the new policy oriented on the introduction of electronic health records may confront.

Works Cited:

Papadouka, V. et al. Integrating the New York citywide immunization registry and the childhood blood lead registry, Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 2004, Suppl: S72–80Introduction Of Electronic Health Records Policy

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