Over the past years, the idea of health record digitalization has been discussed among professionals on the matter of ethical and practical considerations. In terms of the discussion, the notion of electronic health records (EHR) has become a major item, as the following tool is considered the most advanced in the context of data collection, storage, and functionality. The first EHR traces back to 1992, but instead of storing patients’ history data, it was used for scholarly research and billing peculiarities (Magnuson & Dixon, 2020). Since then, the paradigm of EHR use has been modified dramatically, applying the tool in order to exchange health information, manage public health systems, scheduling, and reduce data errors. However, the extent to which EHR systems are integrated in terms of sensitive data management has now been questioned on the subject of ethical appropriateness.
When speaking of the EHR advantages and drawbacks, it is of paramount importance to consider both patient and staff segments. Hence, the major advantages of the EHR include quality of care and increased job satisfaction. The former encompasses the notions of safety, efficiency, and effectiveness (Magnuson & Dixon, 2020). Indeed, once the workflow and data management are systematized, physicians are more willing to cooperate with patients, thus enhancing the positive outcome of medical interventions.
The drawbacks, however, include the notions of privacy and workflow distortion. Electronic data storage presents a high risk for the patients’ sensitive information, as electronic databases may be accessed by third parties for the sake of violation. Another drawback is the disruption of the workflow during the training phase. When shifting to the EHR systems within the facility, the overall productivity may decrease rapidly because practitioners have to learn the basics of system usage. In order to resolve the issue of privacy, the information in the electronic databases should be encoded so that the data could not be easily identified with a particular individual. To mitigate the disruption, it is necessary to carefully plan the implementation in order to make sure that the training program secures a gradual yet efficient transition.
Indeed, the process of EHR development has undergone a series of significant modifications over the past two decades, making the medical system eliminate the use of regular paper databases. While turning into a beneficial instrument, the process itself, as you mentioned, acquired a rather contradictory image in terms of ethics and information security. Could you elaborate on your interpretation of the “ethical dilemma” and provide your vision of addressing this dilemma in the future?
It was mentioned in the post that the EHR systems had been introduced between the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, was the system initially developed with the goal of integrating common workspaces or with other intentions? The final point mentioning the modern perception of the EHR provides a better understanding of the system’s improvement, as the tool prospects are aimed at becoming the practitioner’s full-scale digital partner rather than an assisting tool.
The information provided in the post has a substantial empirical grounding, which resonates with the modern EHR usage tendencies. However, an interesting fact mentioned in the post is the EHR systems’ contribution to the eradication of medication errors simultaneously with the increasing rates of medical ones. In this case, which errors should be considered as more dangerous to the process of individual treatment and community health in general?
The benefits and challenges of EHR outlined in the post are indeed relevant to the sphere of medical administration. However, when speaking of the notion of interoperability, one may assume that such a benefit may easily become an Achilles heel for the system’s privacy. In fact, the ability to quickly share the data between computer systems may become a hazard once the data is shared with the wrong receiver.
Reference
Magnuson, J. A., & Dixon, B. (Eds.). (2020). Public health informatics and information systems (3rd ed.). Springer.