Final answer:
Patients can become direct consumers of health information technology through Internet search engines, which allow for personal access to health-related data. Privacy and security in electronic health records are crucial, prompting questions about maintaining patient information integrity, preventing data breaches, and aligning treatment costs with patient outcomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The option that allows patients to become direct consumers of health information technology is through the use of Internet search engines. These platforms enable individuals to directly seek out and access vast amounts of health-related information. In contrast, evidence-based patient care guidelines and patient education materials are typically provided by healthcare professionals, and social media technology, while a source of information, is less focused on health-specific data and more prone to misinformation.
When considering the balance of costs, quality of life and privacy in the development of policies, here are three essential questions:
- How can we ensure that the deployment of digital health records maintains the integrity and privacy of patient information?
- What measures can be implemented to prevent unauthorized access to and breaches of personal health data?
- How might value-based care be promoted to align treatment costs with patient outcomes while preserving individual privacy?
These questions help to address the challenges of integrating technology in healthcare, especially regarding the privacy and security of electronic health records and the overall impact on patient care.