Infographic highlights the horrific waste & dangers of paper medical records challenges the healthcare industry faces in protecting the security of patient data
Paper electronic records continue be a serious waste and poses potential HIPAA violations as paper charts are vulnerable to being lost, stolen, or destroyed. According to reports, managing paper charts, from transcriptions to labor needed to pull and re-file charts, costs medical practices $116,375 a year on average.
The waste & dangers of paper medical records infographic shown below created by IBX Vault takes deep look into the administrative, physical, and technical safeguards required by covered entities and business associates per the HIPAA privacy rule to secure patient data. The visualization also compares the potential security risks of paper medical records vs. EMRs stating that only 7 out of 479 breaches were related to EMRs.
[See also: The High Cost of HIPAA Violations Infographic]
While it is important to note that the adoption of EMRs presents some security risks of its own as many critics have cited potential privacy concerns that may lead to expensive medical treatments. Additionally, it is imperative to note the tremendous financial harm that implementing an EMR does to a hospital’s bottom-line.
