Question

Communicating all interactions with patients, including assessments, interventions, evaluations, and outcomes of care, in the patient's health record is part of:

a) Evidence-based practice
b) Patient-centered care
c) Quality improvement
d) Documentation

Answer 1

Documentation involves recording all patient interactions in the health record and is essential for continuous care. Concerns about the privacy of electronic health records have raised questions about data protection, confidentiality, and patient control over personal information.

Step-by-step explanation:

Communicating all interactions with patients, including assessments, interventions, evaluations, and outcomes of care, in the patient's health record is part of documentation. This practice is crucial to ensure continuity of care, accuracy in treatment, and legal compliance. Sharing digital records among health providers is an important method proposed to improve the quality of healthcare and reduce costs. However, the privacy of electronic health records is a significant concern. Three critical questions that must be addressed when developing policies include:

• How can policies ensure the adequacy and effectiveness of data protection measures to safeguard patient information?
• What mechanisms can be established to balance the accessibility of health records for healthcare improvement and the need for confidentiality?
• In what ways can patients be empowered to control the use of their personal health information while still allowing for necessary healthcare operations?