scholarly journals Research using electronic health records: Balancing confidentiality and public good

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine A. Wallis ◽  
Kyle S. Eggleton ◽  
Susan M. Dovey ◽  
Sharon Leitch ◽  
Wayne K. Cunningham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Personal Health Information ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Quality And Safety ◽  
Patient Relationship ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Patient Consent ◽  
Information Research ◽  
Electronic Health

ABSTRACTGeneral practitioners are increasingly approached to participate in research and share de-identified patient information. Research using electronic health records has considerable potential for improving the quality and safety of patient care. Obtaining individual patient consent for the use of the information is usually not feasible. In this article we explore the ethical issues in using personal health information in research without patient consent including the threat to confidentially and the doctor-patient relationship, and we discuss how the risks can be minimised and managed drawing on our experience as general practitioners and researchers.

Data Security in Electronic Health Records

2011 ◽  
pp. 1934-1947
Author(s):  
Stefane M Kabene ◽  
Raymond W. Leduc ◽  
Candace J Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Data Security ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Personal Health Information ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Shared Information ◽  
Electronic Health

Traditionally, patient information has been recorded on paper and stored in file folders at healthcare facilities and within physicians’ offices. The implementation of electronic health records (EHRs), the lifetime record of an individual’s health and health services delivered, allows for information to be stored on computers and offers the opportunity to store considerably more data, in much less space, with new efficiencies and value added as information is easier to access, legible, timely, non-redundant and readily available. However, there are many issues to consider with the implementation of a fully shared EHR. The protection of the information contained in the record is of the utmost importance as individuals stand to become quite vulnerable if that personal health information is compromised or accessed by unauthorized users. Therefore, one of the goals of this chapter is to uncover ways in which personal health information is being protected in EHR systems. The second objective, a broader one, examines what regulations, legislation and policies are in place that remove some of the uncertainty and risk and make the use of shared information safe and secure. Many of the techniques and technologies used so far are adopted from the corporate world, where data security has been an issue for some time. Current legislation in the United States and Canada at both the federal and state/provincial levels has addressed the general principles of data security and privacy but are still lacking in specifics with regard to cross-jurisdictional sharing of health information and the implementation and use of EHRs. Many of the researchers and studies on the subject find this to be one of the most important areas of concern moving forward. The opportunities for EHR implementation and use are exciting as they have the strong potential to improve both individual health care and population health, but without proper regulation and policies in place it is possible that the risks may outweigh the benefits.

Data Security in Electronic Health Records

2010 ◽  
pp. 182-194
Author(s):  
Stefane M Kabene ◽  
Raymond W. Leduc ◽  
Candace J Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Data Security ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Personal Health Information ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Shared Information ◽  
Electronic Health

Traditionally, patient information has been recorded on paper and stored in file folders at healthcare facilities and within physicians’ offices. The implementation of electronic health records (EHRs), the lifetime record of an individual’s health and health services delivered, allows for information to be stored on computers and offers the opportunity to store considerably more data, in much less space, with new efficiencies and value added as information is easier to access, legible, timely, non-redundant and readily available. However, there are many issues to consider with the implementation of a fully shared EHR. The protection of the information contained in the record is of the utmost importance as individuals stand to become quite vulnerable if that personal health information is compromised or accessed by unauthorized users. Therefore, one of the goals of this chapter is to uncover ways in which personal health information is being protected in EHR systems. The second objective, a broader one, examines what regulations, legislation and policies are in place that remove some of the uncertainty and risk and make the use of shared information safe and secure. Many of the techniques and technologies used so far are adopted from the corporate world, where data security has been an issue for some time. Current legislation in the United States and Canada at both the federal and state/provincial levels has addressed the general principles of data security and privacy but are still lacking in specifics with regard to cross-jurisdictional sharing of health information and the implementation and use of EHRs. Many of the researchers and studies on the subject find this to be one of the most important areas of concern moving forward. The opportunities for EHR implementation and use are exciting as they have the strong potential to improve both individual health care and population health, but without proper regulation and policies in place it is possible that the risks may outweigh the benefits.

Electronic Health Records

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna S. McDermott ◽  
Jessica L. Kamerer ◽  
Andrew T. Birk
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Personal Health Information ◽  
Information Technology Professionals ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Portable Devices ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Electronic Documents ◽  
Threat Categories ◽  
Electronic Health

Electronic health records (EHRs) pose unique concerns for administrators and information technology professionals with regard to cybersecurity. Due to the sensitive nature and increasing value of personal health information, cyber risks and information protection should be a high priority. A literature review was conducted to identify potential threat categories and best practices in protecting EHR information. Potential threats were identified and categorized into five areas; physical, portable devices, insider use, technical, and administrative. Government policies have created administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to keep EHR information safe. Despite these efforts, EHRs are being targeted by cyber-criminals due to flaws in personal and organizational management of protected healthcare information. This paper aims to educate, inform, and advocate for the proper handling of EHRs to alleviate the burden caused by compromised electronic documents.

Patient perspectives on the digitization of personal health information in the emergency department: a mixed-methods study during the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia Ly ◽  
Ricky Tsang ◽  
Kendall Ho
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Personal Health Information ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Key Informant

BACKGROUND While the digitization of personal health information (PHI) has been shown to improve patient engagement in the primary care setting, patient perspectives on its impact in the emergency department (ED) are unknown. OBJECTIVE The primary objective was to characterize the views of British Columbia (BC) ED users on the impacts of PHI digitization on ED care. METHODS This was a mixed-methods study consisting of an online survey followed by key informant interviews with a subset of survey respondents. ED users in British Columbia were asked about their ED experiences and attitudes towards PHI digitization in the ED. RESULTS One hundred and eight participants submitted survey responses between January and April 2020. Most survey respondents were interested in the use of electronic health records (75%) and patient portals (85%) in the ED and were amenable to sharing their ED PHI with ED staff (up to 90% in emergencies), family physicians (up to 91%), and family caregivers (up to 75%). Sixteen survey respondents provided key informant interviews in August 2020. Interviewees expected PHI digitization in the ED to enhance PHI access by health providers, patient-provider relationships, patient self-advocacy, and post-discharge care management, although some voiced concerns about privacy risk and limited access to digital technologies (eg, smart devices, internet connection). COVID-19 was thought to provide momentum for the digitization of healthcare. CONCLUSIONS Patients overwhelmingly support PHI digitization in the form of electronic health records and patient portals in the ED. The COVID-19 pandemic may represent a critical moment for the development and implementation of these tools.

Seamless Integration of ISO/IEEE11073 Personal Health Devices and ISO/EN13606 Electronic Health Records into an End-to-End Interoperable Solution

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 993-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Martíez ◽  
Javier Escayola ◽  
Miguel Martínez-Espronceda ◽  
Pilar Muñoz ◽  
Jesús Daniel Trigo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Seamless Integration ◽  
Health Records ◽  
End To End ◽  
Electronic Health

scholarly journals Electronic Health Records: Then, Now, and in the Future

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S48-S61 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Local Area ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Electronic Health

Summary Objectives: Describe the state of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in 1992 and their evolution by 2015 and where EHRs are expected to be in 25 years. Further to discuss the expectations for EHRs in 1992 and explore which of them were realized and what events accelerated or disrupted/derailed how EHRs evolved. Methods: Literature search based on “Electronic Health Record”, “Medical Record”, and “Medical Chart” using Medline, Google, Wikipedia Medical, and Cochrane Libraries resulted in an initial review of 2,356 abstracts and other information in papers and books. Additional papers and books were identified through the review of references cited in the initial review. Results: By 1992, hardware had become more affordable, powerful, and compact and the use of personal computers, local area networks, and the Internet provided faster and easier access to medical information. EHRs were initially developed and used at academic medical facilities but since most have been replaced by large vendor EHRs. While EHR use has increased and clinicians are being prepared to practice in an EHR-mediated world, technical issues have been overshadowed by procedural, professional, social, political, and especially ethical issues as well as the need for compliance with standards and information security. There have been enormous advancements that have taken place, but many of the early expectations for EHRs have not been realized and current EHRs still do not meet the needs of today’s rapidly changing healthcare environment. Conclusion: The current use of EHRs initiated by new technology would have been hard to foresee. Current and new EHR technology will help to provide international standards for interoperable applications that use health, social, economic, behavioral, and environmental data to communicate, interpret, and act intelligently upon complex healthcare information to foster precision medicine and a learning health system.

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