Computerization of medical health records will indeed promote the
greater use of e-business in the medical/health arena. It will also
provide physicians around the world with greater access to patient
information and case studies. Tied to these benefits however, is the risk
that the publication of medical records electronically poses a greater
security risk and potential for breech of confidentiality. HIPAA has
recently enacted legislation targeted toward simplifying e-business
processes and standardizing processes, but the effectiveness of this
legislation with respect to security issues has yet to be tested in the
real world' marketplace. This idea is explored in greater detail below.
The combination of medicine and computer technology is both promising
and concerning. Alpert (2003) discusses the ubiquitous nature of the
combination of medicine with computer technology, noting that computers
have allowed the medical record "to be transformed from merely a chronicle
of direct patient care to an essential tool of managed care." This idea is
supported by other researchers including Gostin (1995) who points out those
technological advances will become an essential aspect of care in the
future rather than merely a convenience. Medical records store evidence of
care a patient has received or will be receiving, and makes that
information easily accessible to insurance agents, employers, managed care
organizations and even state officials (Alpert, 2003). This may help the
medical insurance approval process among other things.
Naser & Alpert (1999) pointed out however, that demand of patient
information is increasing among individuals with no direct clinical
relationship to the patient. This may include employers seeking
information or non health related insurance agents. Because of the ease of
use of the internet, and because of the potential for information to ...