Meaningful use provides incentives for enhancing the electronic record and HUITECH builds rules to help provide for security. Discuss the pros and cons of an EHR and take a stand on whether the incentive/disincentive approach is the best way to enhance the use of an EMR. Consider EMRs, EHRs and PHRs and how they do or do not interact and the actual versus potential use for each.

Open access to medical records, especially electronic records, is a focus of patient centered care. Some even go so far as to believe patients should be able to put a note in the chart or at least co-author a note from a visit to a provider. Discuss the pros and cons of open patient access to their medical record – consider the consumer perspective and the provider’s perspective as well as an administrative perspective.

After reading the article on BCMA work-around, please react to it from a ‘cheese holes’ perspective (Unit 3). What are the system issues that are apparent? What kinds of monitoring and safeguards should be in place? How can we insure that technology such as this (but not just this) does in fact make care safer?