Week 4....

This week we talked about data definitions, vocabulary, terminology, and dictionaries on our discussion board. All of this criteria is so important in the understanding and communication of health care records and just the every day language of the health care industry. If we did not have terminology standards to follow it would be chaos. Everyone would be calling the same thing by a different name, so with the standards, everyone calls a certain disease the same name every time.

With the emergence of the EHR it will be imperative to have a specified set of terms to use. this is so critical that only a central authority has the rights to change or add anything to the vocabulary. That makes it nice so not just anyone can go in and change things because they want it to be something else for some reason.

Data definitions are just another way to say that each data in the record is defined. One example of a data definition would be for race. When filling out a form it asks for race and there is a defined explanation of what they want and it will always be the same.

There are so many standards coming with the EHR. these standards are required for the privacy of the patients health records. The more I learn, the more I am realizing just how secure our health records are going to be. I mean, paper-based records are so vulnerable to damage by fire, liquid, or a humans interaction of some kind. They also have a vulnerability to be seen when they shouldn't be. An EHR has to be accessed by an authorized user of the system and cannot be left lying on someones desk for prying eyes. Can it be left on the computer screen? Yes, it can, but the majority or programs have a "time out" after a certain period of non-use and in the health care field, I would like to think a password would be needed to open it back up. Care is still needed by the end user no matter what type of health record they are dealing with, either paper-based or EHR to maintain the privacy of the patient.

There are so many federally mandated rules, regulations, and safeguards to protect EHR's, I can now relax a bit and enjoy the ride.....and what a ride this is going to be! I am nervous, yet excited, to be entering into the health care industry. Many options await me after graduation!

So, until next week....TA! TA!!! Have a great week!! :o)