BUSFPX 4121
Assessment 4: Operations, Technology, Data Security, and Ethics
BUSFPX 4121 – Ethics in Health Care Management
The purpose of this document is to serve as a proposal for an updated electronic health record (EHR). There are benefits for the practice and its patients to upgrading the management of its health information technology (HIT). The benefits cover more than just legal regulations outlined by the government; there are also financial and ethical benefits, which will be discussed
here.
External Forces that Influence Change
There are many reasons to upgrade the EHR. External forces that are driving the urgency
for the change range from federal agencies to insurance companies. The federal agency with the most influence is the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Civil Rights. The department of HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) enforces the HIPAA Privacy and Security Act. The Health Information Privacy and Accessibility Act, better known as HIPAA, is a set of nationally established standards that protect an individual's
protected health information (PHI) and medical records from improper disclosure (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). HIPAA requires that all covered entities secure their patients' protected health information (PHI); an EHR is a great way to do that, although just because a health care practice utilizes the EHR does not mean that information is automatically protected. Access controls must be in place for the electronic record, including a password, PIN, or biometric scanning. Every user must have unique access to the record. The information must also be encrypted to avoid outside users gaining access. This is why updates to the software are vital to their protection and integrity. 2020 saw record numbers in data breaches
of information due to hacking or IT-related issues. The average number of breaches reported of 500 individuals or more per day in 2020 was 1.75, nearly double the average of two years prior
at one report per day (HIPAA Journal, 2021). The financial impact of data breaches can range
anywhere from $100 per affected individual, resulting in thousands of dollars, into the millions.
This year the OCR reached a record high settlement of $5.1 million due to a hacking/IT-related incident. Financial settlements such as these are simply something that a small health clinic would not survive (HIPAA Journal, 2021).
Aside from federal agencies, additional outside influences are coordinating health care providers and insurance companies. Updates to a healthcare provider's health information management system allow for improved coordination and collaborating care of its patients. Most
health centers do not run on the same EHR, but there are continual updates to the software to assist in the communication between one record system to another. Improved coordination of care is one of the many benefits of using an electronic health record. Still, with a lack of updates to HIT, communication lines between two healthcare providers may be hindered (HealthIT,
2017).
Lastly, insurance payers are a significant influence on upgrading a health center's health
information technology. Insurance companies utilize the EHR and a practice's Electronic Data Interface (EDI) to exchange and receive information from one company to another. The EDI was created to streamline healthcare data management into one electronic format (OpenText,
2020). In a health care setting, the EDI transports health data from one computer or application
to another. As technology advances, updates to a practice's health information technologies also
update the practice's EDI. Updated EDI integration supports payment and reimbursement for health services by retuning fewer denials, fewer errors, and faster processing (OpenText, 2020).
Ethical Considerations that Influence Change
Ethical principles also take a significant place in the justification of updating an organization's HIT. A few of the principles to be considered are non-maleficence and autonomy.
Assessment 4: Operations, Technology, Data Security, and Ethics
BUSFPX 4121 – Ethics in Health Care Management
The purpose of this document is to serve as a proposal for an updated electronic health record (EHR). There are benefits for the practice and its patients to upgrading the management of its health information technology (HIT). The benefits cover more than just legal regulations outlined by the government; there are also financial and ethical benefits, which will be discussed
here.
External Forces that Influence Change
There are many reasons to upgrade the EHR. External forces that are driving the urgency
for the change range from federal agencies to insurance companies. The federal agency with the most influence is the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of Civil Rights. The department of HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) enforces the HIPAA Privacy and Security Act. The Health Information Privacy and Accessibility Act, better known as HIPAA, is a set of nationally established standards that protect an individual's
protected health information (PHI) and medical records from improper disclosure (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). HIPAA requires that all covered entities secure their patients' protected health information (PHI); an EHR is a great way to do that, although just because a health care practice utilizes the EHR does not mean that information is automatically protected. Access controls must be in place for the electronic record, including a password, PIN, or biometric scanning. Every user must have unique access to the record. The information must also be encrypted to avoid outside users gaining access. This is why updates to the software are vital to their protection and integrity. 2020 saw record numbers in data breaches
of information due to hacking or IT-related issues. The average number of breaches reported of 500 individuals or more per day in 2020 was 1.75, nearly double the average of two years prior
at one report per day (HIPAA Journal, 2021). The financial impact of data breaches can range
anywhere from $100 per affected individual, resulting in thousands of dollars, into the millions.
This year the OCR reached a record high settlement of $5.1 million due to a hacking/IT-related incident. Financial settlements such as these are simply something that a small health clinic would not survive (HIPAA Journal, 2021).
Aside from federal agencies, additional outside influences are coordinating health care providers and insurance companies. Updates to a healthcare provider's health information management system allow for improved coordination and collaborating care of its patients. Most
health centers do not run on the same EHR, but there are continual updates to the software to assist in the communication between one record system to another. Improved coordination of care is one of the many benefits of using an electronic health record. Still, with a lack of updates to HIT, communication lines between two healthcare providers may be hindered (HealthIT,
2017).
Lastly, insurance payers are a significant influence on upgrading a health center's health
information technology. Insurance companies utilize the EHR and a practice's Electronic Data Interface (EDI) to exchange and receive information from one company to another. The EDI was created to streamline healthcare data management into one electronic format (OpenText,
2020). In a health care setting, the EDI transports health data from one computer or application
to another. As technology advances, updates to a practice's health information technologies also
update the practice's EDI. Updated EDI integration supports payment and reimbursement for health services by retuning fewer denials, fewer errors, and faster processing (OpenText, 2020).
Ethical Considerations that Influence Change
Ethical principles also take a significant place in the justification of updating an organization's HIT. A few of the principles to be considered are non-maleficence and autonomy.
