What Are the Dangers of Electronic Medical Records?

The dangers of electronic medical records are numerous if the records are not maintained in strict accordance with regulations. Unfortunately, widespread dissemination of private electronic medical information is quickly becoming a reality.

Privacy

• Many clinics and hospitals use private companies to manage their electronic medical records. These companies do not fall under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations and cannot ensure complete confidentiality of the records.

Errors

• Although electronic records alleviate many errors associated with paper records, they offer a new range of problems. For example, data transmitted electronically to a patient's file is often overlooked, which could lead to further medical issues.

Misdiagnosis

• Faulty software is sometimes responsible for the incorrect administration of medication and dosages. Bugs in some of the software is associated with misdiagnosis, which often leads to litigation.

Physician Productivity

• Many doctors complain that using a computer to log medical data is cumbersome and time consuming. This leads to delay in treatment and lengthened appointment times.

Inefficiency

• Paragraphs of information can be easily generated to document the patient's conditions. Too much information leads to redundancy, which allows for medically important data to be overlooked.