The management of your medical organisation has probably already come to the conclusion that using paper-based records causes more issues than it fixes and that switching to an electronic health record system is the best course of action. However, some medical practices are still using paper records. It’s time to switch to an electronic health record system since paper records are unsecure and it’s getting harder to defend continuing to store patient files in this outmoded manner.
You have much greater control over the security of your data when using an electronic health record (EHR) program. To assist you to convince your staff to use an EHR, here are five reasons why electronic health records are more secure than paper ones.
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Reason 1: Only Authorized Users Should Have Access
Medical records for your patients kept on paper can be accessed by unauthorised people without your knowledge. An employee may neglect to put a patient’s file back in the filing cabinet on a busy day. Even worse for the patients is the misplaced patient information.
You know how simple it is to leave a paper behind for someone else to see if you’ve ever been photocopying important documents and got sidetracked by a phone call or another distraction. You may manage who has access to patient information using an EHR system.
Additionally, it is now simpler to share the patient’s electronic chart with other parties. This includes providing the physician who recommended a patient to one of your specialists with a follow-up report. You don’t need to set up a courier or overnight mail; you may send it right away. Your transmission will be completely secure, ensuring the security and convenience of patient information.
Reason 2: Electronic Health Record Systems Use Encryption to Ensure Data Security
A paper record is simple to see, transcribe information from, make a copy of, scan, or fax the information to a third party. However, Electronic Health Record Software is kept up to date with strong encryption techniques to protect private patient data from prying eyes.
Your company already has to take every precaution to adhere to HIPAA and other privacy laws, and electronic health record systems make confidentiality maintenance simpler than paper records.
The US Department of Health and Human Services reported that Jackson Health Systems was fined $2.15 million by its Office for Civil Rights because it misplaced paper records containing protected health information (PHI) for 756 of its patients. This incident serves as a stark example of how an organisation fails to protect patient information in paper records. The strong security that an EHR offers you and your patients is not available with paper records.
Reason #3: Misuse of Paper Records
Paper documents are vulnerable to manipulation in subtle ways. For instance, someone could edit or eliminate papers from a report in order to substitute the accurate information.
Electronic health records are protected by encryption and secure login and password systems, making it far more difficult for someone to make.
Reason 4: Evidence left behind
Electronic health record software gives medical institutions more security since it enables audit trails. Audit trails on paper records cannot be performed using a failsafe way. How would you know who last saw a patient’s chart or if anything was changed?
You can immediately ascertain who had viewed a patient’s information, when they were accessed, and whether the access was permitted with the use of an online EHR system. An audit will reveal the situation rather than paper records, which can be difficult to regulate if someone acquires access to information they shouldn’t have. Naturally, properly trained staff members are aware of these safety measures, which may encourage them to mind their own business.
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Electronic Health Record System: The Final Verdict
Therefore, you can disregard the hackers if your business is the target of a ransomware assault that tries to lock down patient data unless you pay a sizable quantity of money. To continue diagnosing and treating patients, your IT department cleanses the system and upgrades it with backup data.
As you can see, switching to electronic health records can give your company increased safety and protection for the private information about your patients. Other benefits of using an EHR system include the opportunity to boost profitability, decrease errors, and increase staff productivity.
