The development of electronic health record technology has made accessing patient information easier than ever for both the patient and physician when they need it most. Electronic health record systems promote the efficiency of the organization, transmission, and storage of Protected Health Information in medical facilities. These systems are developed and networked in a fashion to integrate healthcare professionals with large databases of information that act as a major resource in treating patients in medical facilities. Although unique patient identifiers are used in patients’ records to enhance the effectiveness of privacy, security, and confidentiality techniques, the level of “inimitability” is still to be established and incorporated into universal standards in e-health protocols. When patients feel as though their safety or privacy is at risk they are less likely to share pertinent information to assist the diagnosis and treatment of their symptoms. Some of the issues and privacy concerns that are associated with EHR technology influence the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Conflicting regulatory framework Techniques used to access PHI Unauthorized sharing of PHI Unencrypted data and weak security measures Interoperability failure/breach of protocol According to the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, while electronic health record technology has made a fair amount of contributions to healthcare IT protocols, work needs to be done to maintain complete safety and privacy of records both during and after use. Electronic health record programs often contain security measures and encryption technologies that are intended to thoroughly safeguard sensitive information, even when it is not being used. However, the techniques that each medical facility uses to implement the standards outlined by HIPAA all vary in strength, uniqueness, and effectiveness. We at ADSC, use the most up-to-date standards of security on all our products and services. We are constantly updating our software to meet the latest industry standards! Contact us at 800-899-4237 to schedule a personalized overview of any of our software solutions. Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Physicians used to keep patients’ medical records on paper, necessary because today’s ailment can be a function of a prior condition. To get an accurate picture of the current situation, the doctor must know the patient’s medical history. This requires the doctor to spend hours recording current situations and comparing them to the patient’s medical history. With time, patient records often become cumbersome, containing pages of reports, charts, diagnoses, drug histories and allergies – literally everything that could account for the person’s current health status. Records required a lot of space. They required personnel, someone to manage and keep them in order, to retrieve and return. Paper records are perishable, ink dries out, paper tears and crumbles and they can get lost or misplaced. And imagine the difficulty which can arise when paper records are transferred to a practice on a different street or continent! Computers changed all that. With their speed, efficiency, compactness, limitless memory and storage capacity, electronic medical records (EMR) software, also known as electronic health records (EHR) software, have made a huge impact on medical office management. With the advent of computers and the software that powered them, doctors can examine a patient and have the entire medical history at their fingertips. The combination of desktops, laptops, notebooks, iPads, tablets and mobile phones brings the record storage archive into the examination room. Like other software solutions, the electronic medical records software industry has become specialized. EMR/EHR systems are available now for specific specialties and subspecialties, and are available either where the physician accesses the program online, or on a computer which the practice owns. In addition to all of the advantages of a software-based system, as opposed to traditional paper records, a principal advantage of the latter is its updated compatibility with the requirements of government regulations and those of the individual insurance providers. Another big advantage today are government grants for practices which adopt approved EMR/EHR systems. More about that next time. Learn More For more information about Electronic Medical Records or Stimulus Act compliance, simply complete our Information Request Form or call 1-800-899-4237.