Question

Explain at least two individual rights for patients regarding EMR and their health care information. Next, describe three basic safeguards required to protect the security of electronic protected health information (e-PHI). Lastly, speculate on what happens if a breach occurs. Provide support for your response.

Answer 1

Two individual rights for patients regarding EMR and their healthcare information

The first individual right about patient's health information and EMR is the proper storage of health records across the different facility electronic databases. Practitioners can schedule meetings for more patients when there is a quicker flow of information and accessibility. When there are a faster retrieval and accessibility of patient’s health information, physicians can chart during their patient encounters. Significantly this increases the patient’s health information documentation accuracy. Another individual right as per the patient's EMR and healthcare information is the minimization of medical errors. Most of the health records do not have a backup in the secondary database. Therefore, storing medical records electronically protects patient’s health from threats of loss or other fraudulent acts

Three basic safeguards required to protect the security of e-PHI

The first safeguard is the medical staff support which is provided by the facility in ensuring practitioners are following the right treatment procedures as requested by patients. It allows physicians to review records to comply with insurance federal and state guidelines. The second safeguard is the medical transcription which allows doctors to retrieve the patient’s information and accurately convey it to the authorized personnel in the facility. The third safeguard measure is the use of basics of medical coding which helps physicians to send the right documentation codes to insurers and payers such as Medicaid and Medicare. This safeguard as well ensures proper diagnoses were followed per the requested procedure

My speculation if a breach occurs

Globally, healthcare information breaching has remained to be a problem of concern. Whether accidental or not, many health care agencies and facilities continue to face hefty fines to mishandling of patient’s health information. Research shows that breach of healthcare information involves a large number of patients who are duped by attackers through the internet . These culprits once caught they are charged heavily.