Problem:

You work for a small community hospital that has recently updated its health record system to a modern electronic health record (EHR) system. As a health care manager, you have been asked to meet with the health information manager (HIM) and analyze the efficiency, security, and privacy of your current health records system. Your organization has very high standards and a culture of keeping up with current trends. After your analysis, you have been asked to provide a detailed report to the hospital's chief operating officer (COO) detailing the following:

• Examine the emergence of technology and electronic health systems in health care since the passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Provide an analysis of the current trends in health care record keeping and charting as they relate to advancements in technology.
• Assess ways in which contemporary patient records systems can support health care operations including privacy, quality patient care delivery, insurance and cost administration, and records access and retention.