Privacy Issues with the Electronic Medical Record

Electronic medical records (EMR) all have privacy safeguards in place. Major healthcare institutions have taken steps to prevent employees from looking up information on patients whom they do not treat directly, however numerous potential intrusions into patient privacy are still possible. Centralization of medical records in the increasing number of multi-group practices distributes personal medical data over larger networks and increases the likelihood that personal medical data may be shared or viewed by unauthorized users. This article reviews the benefits of EMRs and the possible mechanisms by which data may be shared without patient knowledge, as well as solutions and safeguards that need to be taken to protect the privacy of patient medical records