confidentiality and electronic medical records

Abstract The enchanced availability of health information in an electronic format is strategic for industry-wide efforts to improve the quality and reduce the cost of health care, yet it brings a concomitant concern of greater risk for loss of privacy among health care participants. The authors review the conflicting goals of accessibility and security for electronic medical records and discuss nontechnical and technical aspects that constitute a reasonable security solution. It is argued that with guiding policy and current technology, an electronic medical record may offer better security than a traditional paper record. n JAMIA. 1996;3:i39-148. One purpose of electronic medical records (EMRs) is to increase the accessibility and sharing of health rec-ords among authorized individuals. Privacy of infor-mation collected during health care processes is nec-essary because of significant economic, psychologic, and social harm that can come to individuals when personal health information is disclosed.“F34ds With re