September 7, 2015, Patricia Lee, a partner in Connell Foley's commercial litigation and health-care groups, recently authored "Handling EHR System Audit Trails and Self?Audits: Critical tools for the health-care lawyer," published in New Jersey Law Journal.
Over the past decade, medical records have evolved significantly, with the vast majority of health-care providers now using some form of electronic health record (EHR) system to facilitate and document patient care. For medical providers and hospitals, EHR systems can be a significant benefit or risk. On the one hand, EHR systems are touted as improving quality and coordination of care and simplifying documentation. Financial incentives are also available, such as through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. On the other hand, EHRs raise concerns over patient privacy rights, spoliation of evidence, medical malpractice and fraud.
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