The Benefits & Risks of
Health Information Exchange
& Health Information Technology
Health information
exchange and health information technology are tools that health
care providers and consumers can use to improve health care. As
in any other industry, the ability to exchange information electronically
comes with benefits and risks. Here are some benefits and risks
for you to consider.
Benefits
Available
in Emergency
If you are in an accident and are unable to explain your health
history to health care providers, they can find the information
about your medications, health issues, and tests and make informed
decisions about your emergency care faster.
Protected
in Disasters
If you are in an area affected by a disaster, like Hurricane Katrina,
your health information can be stored safely in electronic form.
Improved
Care/Reduced Medical Errors
Access to information about care you receive elsewhere gives your
health care providers a better, more complete picture of your health.
That means your health care providers can make sure the care they
provide doesn’t interact badly with other treatment you may
be receiving. For example, when you can’t remember what medications
you are taking, health information exchange can make information
about your conditions and medications available to your health care
providers so that they will know the right things to do instead
of doing something that might be harmful.
Tracking
for Protection
When your health information is shared electronically, information
about access to your record is stored electronically. This can include
the identity of those who accessed your record, the date of access,
the types of information accessed, and the reason your record was
accessed. This makes it easier to enforce laws and regulations governing
access when using electronic records than it is with paper records.
Increased
Safety/Reduced Duplication
Because health care providers can see what tests you have had and
the results, they don’t always have to repeat them. Especially
with x-rays and certain lab tests, this means you are at less risk
from radiation and other side effects. It also means you pay less
for your health care in copayments and deductibles when tests aren’t
repeated.
Risks
Identity
Theft
Although health information benefits from all the security measures
developed in other economic areas such as defense and finance, it
has the same risks these other areas have experienced. Identity
theft occurs with both paper files and electronic files, but a breach
of electronic files may affect more records than a breach of paper
files.
Errors
Health information exchange is a tool to improve care. Just like
a paper health record, if the health care provider does not enter
the correct information, that information remains in the health
record until it is corrected. However, electronic information can
provide checks and balances that paper health records cannot.
Hackers
As long as information technology has existed, there have been efforts
to try to break into records of all kinds. Electronic health care
information benefits from the security measure developed by other
industries. Health care is the last frontier of information technology,
so anti-hacking security measures from other economic areas are
already used. However, hackers will continue to try to break security
codes just like they do in other electronic systems.
There are benefits and risks associated with health information
technology and health information exchange. Ask your health care
providers if they use health information technology or participate
in health information exchange. If you have questions, make sure
that you have a conversation about how your doctor protects your
health data.
This information
was developed by the Consumer Engagement and Education Collaborative
of the Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC)
project, funded by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health
IT.
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