Nurses have a duty to protect and ensure the confidentiality of patients’ information in hospitals and other health facilities. Electronic health records provide an opportunity for healthcare providers to improve the quality of healthcare and efficiency among their clients. It is the duty of the nurses to protect patients’ data irrespective of its form in hospitals.
There are challenges experienced with using and safeguarding electronic data. Some of the challenges experienced with electronic health records include ensuring the confidentiality of patients’ information recorded on various electronic gadgets in the hospitals. Ensuring privacy is a key variable in the implementation of electronic health records in the health sector. Mitigating the challenges creates the need for development and implementation of policies that will ensure the protection of patients data stored electronically in healthcare facilities. Use of portable devices by the nurses is encouraged however they should be trained on how to ensure that data collected is safe. Passwords and restricted access should be implemented I order to protect patients data from unauthorized users (Thede, 2010).
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Various measures have been put in place to promote a culture of safety in various organizations. Our organization uses passwords to restrict access by unauthorized personnel. Electronic health records are also availed on a need to know basis. Physical measures are also in place to ensure that electronic systems are protected from natural and artificial hazards (Borten, 2016). Through protection from such hazards and intrusion by unauthorized people, the organization is left with strengthening the use of passwords by the various nurse and other healthcare providers (Erickson & Millar, 2005).
In conclusion, electronic health records provide an opportunity for improvement in management of electronic health records. Nurses play a major role in protection of electronic health records. Some of the protection measures include restricted access and use of passwords and installation of physical measures for protection against natural and artificial hazards.
References
Borten, K. (2016, August 9). The role of nurses in HIPAA compliance, healthcare security. Health IT Security. Retrieved from https://healthitsecurity.com/news/the-role-of-nurses-in-hipaa-compliance-healthcare-security
Erickson J. I., & Millar, S. (2005). Caring for patients while respecting their privacy: Renewing our commitment. Online J Issues Nurs. 10 (2):2.
Thede, L. (2010). Informatics: Electronic health records: A boon or privacy nightmare? The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing vol. 15 No. 2. DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol15No02InfoCol01
