Access to electronic health records
Compliance Monitor, July 21, 2006
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Q: We prohibit employees, including physicians, from accessing their medical records in our electronic health record (EHR) without requesting them from health information management. Are we being too strict?
A: No. Most organizations require members of the work force (e.g., physicians, employees, temporaries, etc.) to follow the same process to access their medical records as other patients. This allows you to track access, treat all patients the same, and provide only the identified designated record set.
Some EMRs contain more information than just the medical information a patient is entitled to view. Requiring employees to go through the normal process prevents them from accessing information inappropriately and also reinforces the point that members of the work force are allowed access to the EHRfor business or treatment purposes only, not for personal use (e.g., looking up information about a spouse or relative).
Editor's note: Chris Apgar, president of Portland, OR-based Apgar & Associates, LLC, answered this question. This is not legal advice. Consult your attorney for legal matters.
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