Meta Description: Data Management Strategy For EHR Data

Use of an EHR presents major opportunities for the compromise of patient’s personal health information (PHI). The facility must ensure proper safe guards are implemented and functioning properly at all times. Employees need to be educated on the safety measures to prevent breach of patient confidential health records. Privacy breaches can result from misuse or improper storage of PHI by the healthcare professional, by third party payers, or by lack of proper encryption in the EHR system itself (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2014). The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a law that holds healthcare facilities and professionals accountable for keeping PHI confidential, patients to control

After decades of paper based medical records, a new type of record keeping has surfaced - the Electronic Health Record (EHR). EHR is an electronic or digital format concept of an individual’s past and present medical history. It is the principle storage place for data and information about the health care services provided to an individual patient. It is maintained by a provider over time and capable of being shared across different healthcare settings by network-connected information systems. Such records may include key administrative and clinical data relevant to that persons care under a particular provider. Examples of such records may include: demographics, physician notes, problems or injuries, medications and allergies, vital

Poor data storage protection - need to understand where healthcare data exists when it is created, used, stored and communicated. When healthcare data flows inside and outside of a hospital to healthcare professionals, pharmacists and specialists it is easy to overlook where the data might end

Perhaps the most important piece of legislation relevant to our understanding of security risks surrounding EMR and health information technology is The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was signed into law in 1996 by the Clinton administration. HIPAA impacts the healthcare industry in many ways, but of particular importance – at least for our purposes of understanding security risks surrounding EMR – is HIPAA’s security rule, which governs how providers must protect private health information during the process of adopting and implementing new health information technology such as EMR. HIPAA requires “covered entities” to take reasonable measures to protect electronic private health information. HIPAA is vitally important to our understanding of EMR risks because providers can face harsh penalties if found in violation of HIPAA.

The electronic protected health information (ePHI) gets electronically stored and collected in hard copy form as they secure the information. According to the U.S. Department of health and Human Service Office for Civil Rights (OCR) report, millions of people have been impacted by HIPAA data breaches. Hence, healthcare organizations must protect and secure personal health data now more than ever because of the threats that are associated with information. This would substantially increase the protection of healthcare from cyber threats. Moreover, these people are extremely diverse and the cleverness of their data information must be organized within hospitals. Medical records are in high demand because of the sophistication of the records.

EHRs display vital patient data and clinical information. Data and information include diagnosis, medications, procedures, test results, assessments, problems list, consents, and directives (Barey, McGonigle, & Mastrian, 2018). EHRs allow all healthcare professionals on the treatment team to access data to provide safe and quality care (Rocha & Rocha, 2014). EHRs not only provide pertinent patient data, but also assist in addressing the underuse or misuse of healthcare services. The response to EHRs has raised mixed emotions and positive and negative feedback from healthcare professionals. However, overall, research reveals EHRs can positively impact healthcare (Kutney-Lee & Kelly, 2011). EHRs continue to influence the healthcare system, and make a vital impact on healthcare quality and safety.

Massive security breaches have run rampant throughout the healthcare industry, making EHR’s harder and harder to properly implement. With increased scrutiny and the stringent regulations surrounding the healthcare industry, protecting the healthcare information stored electronically is critical to the success of any future attempts at implementing healthcare electronic recording systems. The struggle lies in the fact that so many threats exist that any facility can be completely overwhelmed with the daunting task of securing information while attempting to implement new systems. Although Healthcare info has many threats such as human, technological, and natural threats, and it faces intense scrutiny due to the HIPAA regulation requirements, it is still possible to protect and secure it through physical, administrative, and technical safeguards.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has set out the creation and maintenance of electronic health records (EHR) as the means by which patient care can be improved while the overall costs of healthcare to society can be driven down. However, the ability to consolidate patient records and increase their portability has increased their vulnerability to theft and exposure. Along with the requirement to create EHRs, HIPAA has mandated security requirements for a class of information identified as electronic protected health information (ePHI) in an effort to protect the confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from criminal misuse and general exposure. The iTrust Medical Care Requirements System (iTrust)

Working in the medical field with Electronic Health Records, a lot of my responsibilities are reliant on Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPPA) compliance, EHR updates and template building. EHR breaches in security is a constant concern in this age of modern and sophisticated technology. With recent security breaches of major corporations, this has caused technology experts to heighten its security encryptions to prevent further breaches. The increasing concern over the security of health information stems from the rise of EHRs, increased use of mobile devices such as the smartphone, medical identity theft, and the widely anticipated exchange of data between and among organizations, clinicians, federal agencies, and patients. If patients’ trust is undermined, they may not be forthright with the physician. For the patient to trust the clinician, records in the office must be protected. Having the knowledge of how these security breaches are on the rise increases my awareness on the security protection of the health records.

This paper will focus on the benefits of the EHR, and how the government and the healthcare industry are addressing the privacy and security risks to patients’

Although electronic health record (EHR) systems many healthcare organizations, are turning to the electronic health record (EHR), there are are potential and actual disadvantages of the system. Disadvantages of the EHR includes financial issues, changes in workflow, temporary loss of productivity associated with EHR system, privacy and security concerns, as well as several unplanned consequences (Menachemi & Collum, 2011).

The health care is changing with the advent of Electronic health record. EHR improves coordinated care and promotes easy access to patient care. This helps in improved patient involvement in healthcare and also make them to be better informed. However, there are security and privacy concerns while using EHR systems. Therefore, different security principles are needed to be applied to EHR systems. Information security (InfoSec) principles helps in protecting EHR systems. This principle includes the following:The information is not available to everyone and are not disclosed to unauthorized individuals, processes and entities. Measures are undertaken to ensure that sensitive information should not reach the wrong people while making right information

Because of the many benefits that EHRs provide to patients and to healthcare community, their adoption is increasing. However, as stated before, there are questions and concerns that must be addressed because of the security risks associated with digital information. Covered entities and business associates have the responsibility to protect their patients’ privacy and most

In the healthcare space, an example of the critical aspect of data integrity, is the Electronic Health Record, or EHR. The data systems are built to support the patient through their entire continuum of care. From initial scheduling of their first appointment, to registration upon arrival, capturing their health insurance

"Without the utilization of information technology, the data becomes less valuable and often is lost”. [1]. Data storage is one of the problems experienced in the healthcare field.