Digital Health Records: Benefits, Barriers, and Risks Analysis

This essay critically evaluates the role of digital health records in hospitals, highlighting their benefits and associated challenges. It begins by providing an overview of digital health records, emphasizing their importance in modern healthcare and the potential negative impacts if not properly implemented. The essay then delves into the benefits of digital health records for various stakeholders, including healthcare managers, clinicians, and patients, focusing on improved decision-making, efficient data access, and cost reduction. However, it also addresses the barriers and risks associated with digital health records, such as security concerns, potential for data breaches, and the need for standardized regulations. The essay concludes that while digital health records offer significant advantages, healthcare organizations must address the challenges to fully realize their potential and ensure patient data security and privacy.

Running Head: DHR
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Introduction
In my opinion, Sometimes, the digital health record could negatively impact on the
performance of the company. Further, Digital health records could be an easy method to
collect the information of a large number of patient’s information at one place. This essay
critically evaluates the importance of digital health record in the hospitals. As well as, it
discusses challenges that may be confronted by the hospitals or doctors at the time of using
the digital health record.
Overview of Digital health records
In the current era, a large number of doctor and hospitals use digital health records for
removing their paperwork from the operation. It could also support to make a reliable
decision with respect to the current matter. It is observed that most of the health organization
does not aware of the application of electronic health records. It could negatively impact on
their performance (Wachter, 2015). Thus, it is required for the health care organization to
improve their knowledge with respect to the application of the electronic health records for
sustaining their position in the marketplace and obtain a reliable outcome. Many times, the
organization is failed to secure the confidential information of the patient in the computer as
it could lead to making negative image among the patient’s mind (Li, Yu, Zheng, Ren, and
Lou, 2013). Moreover, it is addressed that the digital health records could lead to less manual
work but some of the organization follow the hybrid quality of the operation process. It is
also evaluated that that hybrid method could create the misconduct at the working place.
Benefits and barriers of digital health record
According to Fernández-Alemán, Señor, Lozoya, and Toval (2013), digital health record
could lead to the hospitals to record all the confidential information in softcopy rather than
hardcopy. A healthcare organization could obtain many benefits from the application of
electronic health records. Further, these advantages go to certain parties considered in the

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healthcare like healthcare managers, patients, and clinicians. It is also stated that clinicians
are medical employees that are directly involved with patients like physicians, nurses,
psychologists, and psychiatrists. It could be operating in both private as well as the public
healthcare sector. Each medical worker may be liable for maintaining a record of patients.
From the application of digital health record enable them to obtain higher benefits in the least
time and cost.
Kellermann and Jones, (2013) argued that digital health record aid health organization to
make a reliable decision. Furthermore, it is analyzed that organization would be capable to
collect the reliable information with respect to patient data like allergies found, drugs
administered, certain drugs, and efficiency of initial treatments. It could also be effective for
a health organization in making a reliable decision. For example, if the organization offers the
same facility to their patients then they could complaints about medication on the basis of the
result. Furthermore, it could also be effective for simply locate health record of patients as
compared to the physical data like files. In addition, it enables the organization to save a huge
amount of data at the same place.
In support of this, DesRoches, et al. (2013) examined that it enables the organization to
access reliable information with respect to the current research matter. Moreover, the digital
health record enables to collect technical information with respect to the health issues.
Further, it is stated that the digital health record facilitates health organization to understand
the current research on health issues and other development as it could be easily accessed by
considering the digital healthcare record. It will be simple, for example, for a specialist or
clinician to search documents of those consumers who are admitted in the hospitals with
leaving their place and addressed the file cabinets, statistical manuals, and journals.
In the favored of Lupton (2013) addressed that digital healthcare record system could assist
the healthcare organization to time to manage the information of patients and use in the

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upcoming period. From the application of the digital health record could assist the clinicians
to address and follow up on the issues of patients like progressive lab reports, medical
history, and bookings. In addition, it permits clinicians to share the accessible data to their
patients about the facilities as it could be effective for obtaining a reliable outcome.
In oppose to this, Coorevits, et al. (2013) explained that healthcare executives are
professionals that is accountable for the leadership, the management team of hospitals,
healthcare networks. It could also enable the healthcare organization for the efficient working
atmosphere in healthcare units. In addition, it is also found that they supervise each
department of the hospitals or healthcare institution like laboratory, radiology, and pharmacy
amid others. They also support to possess the professional skills of the clinicians.
In support to this, Rodrigues, De La Torre, Fernández, and López-Coronado, (2013)
examined that digital health record could support the organization to make the easy process
of the workflow and obtain a reliable outcome. The digital health record could support to
combine patient experience in the facility of the healthcare like bookings, laboratory reports,
referrals records, and billing report. Furthermore, the digital health record could also be
effective for making the plan about the whole process of business and obtain a reliable
outcome. The data is essential for healthcare executives and hospitals management clubs.
Bahga and Madisetti, (2013) argued that digital health record facilitates the organization to
simply secure the information of patients in the hospitals. The organization could make a
different number of patients as it could be effective to differentiate the information of the
patients and tracked them to offer the appropriate facility to their patients. Moreover, it is also
evaluated that digital health record could enable the organization to secure the confidential
data of patients and mandate them to not share data of patients with others. The digital health
record also facilitates the organization to delivers many services to their patients as it could
be associated with updates patient records, referrals information, and pharmacy

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transcriptions. Consequently, patients will be capable to have the health facility in another
hospital on the bias of their connivance.
In support of this, Labrique, Vasudevan, Kochi, Fabricant, and Mehl, (2013) examined that
digital health record is beneficial for reducing the costs. Although, the initial cost of
equipment installment can be higher but, day to day expenses of health care unit could be
reduced by applying the feasible EHR system. Digital health record may eliminate the other
facilities such as files, cabinet and free up space that could be utilized for other purposes. It
also declines the number of human resources and saves time due to an automated process.
In contrast to this, Lupton, (2014), illustrated that digital health record could be advantageous
for patients. It facilitates easy access for patients to check their personal health records such
as medical traits, past diagnostics, and administration of the drug. The patient can be
competent to organize their health booking as well as a consultancy by using the digital
health record. It is fact that digital health record could be used for centrally managed and
stored. It is stated that the case of losses in personal data due to misplacement and negligence
can be declined. It indicates that there is no need to fill fresh form each time when patient
visit in a healthcare facility. Moreover, a digital health record takes less time for patients due
to eliminating physical record. With the digital record, the clinicians have centrally
maintained all the files as it could be easily accessed.
Barriers and Risks Associated with digital Health Records Application
According to Levy, Janke, and Langa, (2015), there are certain barriers which hinder the
optimization of digital health records and risks. It could be resolved by using effective
strategies. The data incorporated in digital health record can be accessible by different
departments in a healthcare unit. It is an effective aspect, which needs a very secure process
of maintenance. Along with this, a high standard of security can be translated into the high
cost of maintenance that cannot be afforded by the majority of care providers.

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In opposed to this, Topol, Steinhubl, and Torkamani, (2015) evaluated that clinicians may
have different competencies in the usage of the digital health record. It could be hazardous
when essential data is either misplaced or accidentally changed. In spite of security issues at
the workplace, it is considered that such health record could be prone to unofficial access and
impairment by external parties like viruses, web hackers, along with internet-based threats of
security.
As per the view of Thomas and Bond (2014), a digital health record can be centrally
organized hence distinct personnel may have the right to access them. For example, the
medical record of the patient could be accessed without difficulty by a different department
within a facility and externally by another unit of healthcare. It indicates unethical usage of
patient’s record. There could be also chances of manipulation in information in which data of
patients may be entered incorrectly. It may lead to wrong medication and diagnosis. There is
fact that digital health record is a comparatively current development in practices of medical
hence there is no adequate regulation concerning disclosure and use of personal data. It is a
key challenge in the practices of the digital health record.
Sheikh, Jha, Cresswell, Greaves, and Bates, (2014) argued that for succeeding the digital
health record, there is need of integrity with accountability in order to determine distinct roles
in practices of medicine. It will involve accountability on the part of the clinician, patients,
insurance corporations, health management and other hospital staff. When healthcare key
players and government makes effort to execute such measures, then there could be issues
that the number of personnel can access the digital health record. Along with this, the base of
the patient is huge so that there could be chances of mass breach of privacy and
confidentiality about information of the patient.
In support of this, Fernández-Luque and Bau, (2015) stated that there is no clear rule with
regulation to govern the retention, creation, and sharing of the information of the patient.

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Initially, there should be a harmonized way to generate the file of the patient. There is also
need to include an identifier of the patient, which should be mandatory to apply across all
healthcare providers. Moreover, there is also a requirement to make a standard layout for the
collection of patient data in across the profession of healthcare. Lastly, there should be
standard way regarding sharing of data amongst various hospitals of healthcare units in case
of requirements. These requirements involve the alteration in preference by patients, referrals
and even cases in which some healthcare units close down and data of patient needs to be
maintained.
In contrast to this, Thomas and Bond, (2014) evaluated that there is a need for two
approaches in order to improve the sharing of health information amongst hospitals. These
approaches are centralized information server model and peer to peer model of organization
in the file. When, both approaches are feasible but, still concentrated unusable as there are no
consistent techniques with the format to create the record. It indicates that even if records
would be passed to distinct units then, the usability of these records would be restricted.
Conclusion
With respect to the above discussion, it can be concluded that digital health record enables
the healthcare organization to record all information of patients and provide the essential
services to them. According to my perspective, healthcare organization could take many
benefits by usage of the digital health record technique. It includes easily access data, timely
offer reliable services, prompt service, secure many patients records, deal with the diverse
situation, cost-effective and make a reliable decision. I have observed that healthcare
organization may face some barriers at the time of implementing digital health record in the
organization. These are possibilities of unethical behaviors, possibilities of wrong diagnosis
and medication, lack of rules and regulation with respect to patient’s confidentiality.
Recommendation

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It can be recommended that organization should use the audit system in specified time to
understand the actual situation of the digital health record and make the correction as per the
situation it could be effective for making consistency in the whole process. It could also be
effective for securing the confidentiality of the patients.

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