Conversion to Electronic Health Records

1046 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Annotated bibliography about hipaa

What an exciting time to become part of the health care industry! Medical research makes new discoveries to improve the quality of patient care and save lives on a daily basis. Health care reform is gaining momentum, revolutionizing the industry and requiring many administrative changes, such as the creation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Rules and standards evolved from this act provide a way to ensure your protected health information remains confidential. In this digital age, it is particularly relevant. The digital evolution impacts many areas. Digital TVs, computers, smart phones and iPods have totally changed the way we do business and enjoy entertainment. In the medical industry, the digital evolution provided advanced imaging technology, and a variety of other significant improvements for treating patients. On the administrative side, the development of practice management programs and electronic health records streamline office workflow and helps provide patients a more efficient and cost effective experience.

The health care system faces monumental tasks in the next several years due to the overhaul of the health care system and implementation of the new diagnosis code standard, to name a few. Additionally, conversion from paper medical records to an electronic health record system requires in-depth analysis and complete understanding of the advantages and disadvantages. Only then, each health care professional can make the right decision for their medical practice. Each of these impending changes has advantages, disadvantages, HIPAA protocol standards and technical issues making full implementation and compliance a challenge for medical staff. This paper focuses on the co...

... middle of paper ...

...ctive and promptly delivered. I believe the advantages far exceed the disadvantages in conversion to electronic health records.

Works Cited

Electronic Health Records Overview. (2011, June 13). Retrieved October 2, 2011, from CMS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: https://www.cms.gov/ehealthrecords/

Jones, E. (2011, August). Get Ready Now for Toughened HIPAA/HITECH Act Privacy and Security Rules and Enforcement, and Big Noncompliance Fines. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from HIPAA.com: http://www.hipaa.com/2011/08/get-ready-now-for-toughened-hipaahitech-act-privacy-and-security-rules-and-enforcement-and-big-noncompliance-fines/

The MITRE Corporation. (2006, April). Electronic Health Records Overview. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources: http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/publications/informatics/ehr.pdf

Show More
Related

  • HIPAA: Privacy and Security Rules The Computer, the Nurse and You

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sobel, R. (2007). The HIPAA Paradox. The Privacy Rule that’s Not. Hasting Center Report, 37(4), 40-50.

    Read More

  • Current Status of the Electronic Health Records in the United States

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    Friedman, D. J., Parrish, G., & Ross, D. A. (2013). Electronic Health Records and US Public Health: Current Realities and Future Promise. American Journal of Public Health, 103(9), 1560-1567

    Read More

  • Electronic Health Records Pros And Cons Essay

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    Historically, physicians and nurses documented patients’ health information using paper and pencil. This documentation created numerous errors in patients’ medical records. Patient information became lost or destroyed, medication errors occur daily because of illegible handwriting, and patients had to wait long periods to have access to their medical records. Since then technology has changed the way nurses and health care providers care for their patients. Documentation of patient care has moved to an electronic heath care system in which facilities around the world implement electronic health care systems. Electronic health records (EHR) is defined as a longitudinal electronic record of

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Meaningful Use And The EHR

    1629 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many new technologies are being used in health organizations across the nations, which are being utilized to help improve the quality of health care. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) play a critical role in improving access, quality and efficiency of healthcare ("Electronic health records," 2014). In order to assist in expanding the use of EHR’s, in 2011 The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), instituted a EHR incentive program called the Meaningful use Program. This program was instituted to encourage and expand the use of the HER, by providing health professional and health organizations yearly incentive payments when they demonstrate meaningful use of the EHR ("Medicare and medicaid," 2014). The Meaningful use program will be explored including its’ implications for nurses, nursing, national policy, how the population health data relates to Meaningful use data collection in various stages and finally recommendations for beneficial improvement for patient outcomes and population health and more.

    Read More

  • Health Care IT and Quality Health Care

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    Unfortunately, the quality of health care in America is flawed. Information technology (IT) offers the potential to address the industry’s most pressing dilemmas: care fragmentation, medical errors, and rising costs. The leading example of this is the electronic health record (EHR). An EHR, as explained by HealthIT.gov (n.d.), is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. It includes, but is not limited to, medical history, diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans. The EHR, then, serves as a resource that aids clinicians in decision-making by providing comprehensive patient information.

    Read More

  • Hipaa Privacy Rule

    1950 Words  | 4 Pages

    Congress addressed growing public concern about privacy and security of personal health data, and in 1996 passed “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act” (HIPAA). HIPAA sets the national standard for electronic transfers of health data. Before HIPAA, each state set their own standards. Now states must abide by the minimum standards set by HIPAA. States can enact laws to incorporate and/or strengthen the basic rights given by HIPAA.

    Read More

  • The Electronic Health Record Mandate

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    Department of Health and Human Services (2008, June 3). The ONC-Coordinated Federal Health Information Technology Strategic Plan: 2008-2012 SYNOPSIS. Retrieved from https://blackboard.ohio.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3906938-dt-content-rid-20290665_1/courses/NRSE_4510_1021_SEM_SPRG_2013-14/EHR_2%281%29.pdf

    Read More

  • The Switch to Electronic Health Records

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    What Role does HIPPA play in the transition and how does it protect patient privacy? HIPPA has a set of regulations and guidelines the must be met and...

    Read More

  • Electronic Health Records: Annotated Bibliography

    1502 Words  | 4 Pages

    This paper will identify the use of Electronic Health Records and how nursing plays an important role. Emerging in the early 2000’s, utilizing Electronic Health Records have quickly become a part of normal practice. An EHR could help prevent dangerous medical mistakes, decrease in medical costs, and an overall improvement in medical care. Patients are often taking multiple medications, forget to mention important procedures/diagnoses to providers, and at times fail to follow up with providers. Maintaining an EHR could help tack data, identify patients who are due for preventative screenings and visits, monitor VS, & improve overall quality of care in a practice. Nurse informaticists play an important role in the adaptation, utilization, and functionality of an EHR. The impact the EHR could have on a general population is invaluable; therefore, it needs special attention from a trained professional.

    Read More

  • How Technology Has Changed Healthcare

    1700 Words  | 4 Pages

    Neal, H. (2013, January 10). History of Electronic Health Records (EHR). Retrieved April 24, 2014, from Software Advice: http://blog.softwareadvice.com/articles/medical/ehr-timeline-113/

    Read More

  • Electronic Health Record Implementation Essay

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Advances in technology have influences our society at home, work and in our health care. It all started with online banking, atm cards, and availability of children’s grades online, and buying tickets for social outings. There was nothing electronic about going the doctor’s office. Health care cost has been rising and medical errors resulting in loss of life cried for change. As technologies advanced, the process to reduce medical errors and protect important health care information was evolving. In January 2004, President Bush announced in the State of the Union address the plan to launch an electronic health record (EHR) within the next ten years (American Healthtech, 2012).

    Read More

  • Healthcare Delivery Issues

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    The use of electronic medical records has both positive and negative impacts on our struggling healthcare system. The positive effects are improved communication among healthcare providers, decrease cost to patient and insurance companies by eliminating repeat diagnostic tests and unnecessary procedures, and improve the health conditions throughout the country by collecting data information. Immunization registries, bio surveillance, and public health can be monitored to improve the “fiscal an...

    Read More

  • The Benefits Of Electronic Medical Records

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    Electronic medical records not only effect health care professionals, but the patients of those health care providers as well. However, nurses spend the most time directly using electronic medical records to access patient date and chart. Nurses now learn to chart, record data, and interact with other health care providers electronically. Many assume that electronic means efficient, and the stories of many nurses both agree, and disagree. Myra Davis-Alston, a nurse from Las Vegas, NV, says that she “[likes] the immediate access to patient progress notes from all care providers, and the ability to review cumulative lab values and radiology reports” (Eisenberg, 2010, p. 9). This form of record keeping provides health care professionals with convenient access to patient notes, vital signs, and test results from multiple providers comprised into one central location. They also have the ability to make patients more involved in their own care (Ross, 2009). With the advancement in efficiency, also comes the reduction of costs by not printing countless paper records, and in turn, lowers health care

    Read More

  • Impact Of Health Information Technology On The Quality Of Patient Care

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    Our clinical knowledge is expanding. The researcher has first proposed the concept of electronic health record (EHR) to gather and analyze every clinical outcome. By late 1990s computer-based patient record (CPR) replaced with the term EHR (Wager et al., 2009). The process of implementing EHR occurs over a number of years. An electronic record of health-related information on individual conforms interoperability standards can create, manage and consult with the authorized health professionals (Wager et al., 2009). This information technology system electronically gather and store patient data, and supply that information as needed to the healthcare professionals, as well as a caregiver can also access, edit or input new information; this system function as a decision support tools to the health professionals. Every healthcare organization is increasingly aware of the importance of adopting EHR to improve the patient satisfaction, safety, and lowering the medical costs.

    Read More

  • Essay On Electronic Health Record

    1590 Words  | 4 Pages

    The purpose of the Electronic Health Record is to provide a comprehensive, standardized and universal digital version of a patient 's health records. The availability of a patient 's digital health record provides health information and data for critical thinking and evidence based decision-making, aggregates patient data for quality assurance and research. The Electronic Health Record has been, "identified as a strategy for effectively and efficiently coordinating and maintaining documentation of patients health histories and as a secure method of providing more informed clinical decision making" (MNA, 2006).

    Read More

More about Conversion to Electronic Health Records

Open Document