There has been much debate over whether electronic medical record (EMR) software will protect or eliminate a patient’s right to privacy. Although the fears surrounding such unprecedented access to medical information may be understandable, in reality a quality EMR software system, combined with proper staff training protocols, can protect the integrity of medical records much more easily and thoroughly than paper filing systems.

In order to alleviate privacy concerns, it is important to ensure that your EMR software system is set up to store medical records in a legally correct manner. In fact, according to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), electronic records that do not meet certain Federal and State requirements can be challenged as legally invalid, claims may be denied and litigation can ensue. To avoid this, make sure you can easily demonstrate procedures that will prove your electronic medical records have not been altered.

A good system will combine the needs of your practice (including the need to correct mistakes and make changes from time to time), with preventative measures that exist solely to protect the legal integrity of the records and the privacy of your patients. For example, will your system keep track of who entered what data? Does it have an effective yet realistic “time-out” feature that will limit the amount of time that a record can be altered after it is created, before “locking” it for good? How frequently does the system require you to update and change passwords? Is each entry automatically time-stamped? These are just a few of the features that can help to prove the integrity of a facility’s EMR system, and they can also work to alleviate privacy concerns among patients.

While it may be natural on some level to fear the added control that seems inherent to centralizing records of just about anything, when it comes to our medical records we simply can’t afford to maintain the status quo. Paper recordkeeping systems are fast becoming a thing of the past, and the new digital recordkeeping era promises to provide us with unprecedented access to vital information so physicians from all backgrounds can begin to gain new insight into the human condition.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) promise to revolutionize the medical industry by reducing healthcare costs, simplifying recordkeeping practices, increasing the ability to share information and eliminating errors. But according to a 2009 report by IVANS – a supplier of EDI and network services to the insurance industry – up to 80 percent of physicians have reported that a lack of available funds is the main obstacle to implementing EMRs in many facilities. The Obama administration has, however, publicly supported the adoption of electronic records, and here we’ve outlined how last year’s $787 billion stimulus package supports current efforts to computerize the nation’s hospitals and physician’s offices.

The stimulus package has allocated $45 billion to helping the healthcare industry adopt electronic medical records, and requires the government to determine which software systems will be most beneficial and why. This process, aptly described as determining “Meaningful Use,” is still unfolding, with the main point of discussion currently revolving around deciding upon the speed at which physician groups, hospitals and technology vendors would be required to convert to digital recordkeeping systems.

Under the terms of the stimulus package, physician practices could receive up to $44,000 over a five-year period, while hospitals could receive a maximum of $15.9 million, to install EMR systems that meet “Meaningful Use” requirements. In contrast, the government would ultimately impose penalties on providers who do not choose to convert to electronic medical records by 2015, beginning with reducing Medicaid and Medicare payments by 1 percent in that year (and growing to 3 percent in subsequent years).

Whether or not systems are adequately “Certified” under the new standards that have been set by the stimulus package is also an integral issue for physicians hoping to receive incentives to adopt EMR software. Previously, certification was outsourced to a commission founded by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and was largely voluntary. But despite more than three years of certification, many EMR software systems are still not set up to communicate easily with one another, which has spurred the commission to turn its focus to ensuring that the certification process serves as a way to determine who will be eligible for stimulus funds.

Although some reports claim that seven out of 10 healthcare providers think EMRs would positively affect their practices, their patients and the industry as a whole, some physicians are still left wondering where to begin. On the other hand, many others are already making investments in IT initiatives. Whichever category you (and your practice) falls into, these new technologies will alter the medical landscape of this country and affect the way healthcare professionals provide patient care in the months and years to come.

By Kirsten E Silven