What's the Big Deal About Electronic Medical Records?
(Part II)
Link to Part 1 here.
Seventeen billion of our taxpayer dollars have been earmarked to develop an electronic medical record system (EMR) through the economic stimulus plan.
In my last column, we looked at the ways EMRs will benefit us patients. They include easy access for both patients and providers to review the patient’s history and current condition, even when far away from home. Recent studies show that patients are safer in EMR environments. In addition, record-keeping costs will be lower once the system is implemented.
But there is plenty of controversy over a shift to an all electronic system.
You may wonder what the big deal is. Computers are found throughout healthcare already. Maybe your providers have been using computers for a while. Payers’ billing systems are electronic, too. So what does the implementation of EMRs really change?
The first problem is that existing systems don’t talk to each other. Doctor A implemented a system in his office, but records can’t be transferred to Doctor B because her system requires a different format. The hospital has its own system, as does the nursing home, the pharmacy, the insurer…. Since none of them talk to each other, records can’t be shared. That’s not a workable EMR system. That’s a mess.
Therefore someone must figure out how patients, providers and payers can use the same system. Or someone must develop a platform that allows existing systems to talk to each other. That means lobbyists, entrepreneurs, code-writers and big business are now arguing among themselves, costing us taxpayers even more money.
The second major problem is the loss of both privacy and security. HIPAA laws address the legality of keeping records private and secure. But criminals and others know how to get around those laws. If someone really wants your records, they’ll be able to get them. Some employers and insurers will ignore the laws to gain access to your health information as a means to reject you.
These privacy and security violations are not new. They happen today. Just ask Brittany Spears or Octomom! EMRs will simply make access easier than retrieving paper records is now.
EMRs are in our future whether we like the idea or not. Understanding both the benefits and potential problems helps us patients better understand how to use EMRs, and encourages us to take steps to be sure our records are error-free and protected.
............................................................................................
Learn more about electronic medical records at my About.com guide site. |
