Final answer:
Concerns like power outages and viruses raise important questions about EHR security, including data integrity, disaster recovery, and system maintenance. The balance of treatment costs, patient quality of life, and privacy are also critical policy considerations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Issues such as power outages, viruses, backup procedures, and computer freezes and crashes are critical considerations when it comes to the safety and security of electronic health records (EHRs). Data breaches can lead to chaos and significant financial losses. For example, loss of patient information due to system failures can halt medical operations, leading to poor patient outcomes and possible legal liabilities. Optimizing EHR security involves addressing several concerns:
- Data integrity: ensuring the accuracy and completeness of patient data.
- Disaster recovery: establishing a plan for restoring data after catastrophic events.
- System maintenance: regular updates and checks to prevent system failures.
Policies must balance treatment and diagnosis costs, patient quality of life, and privacy risks. Topics such as the digital divide, reliance on technology for critical systems like nuclear power plants, and organizational strategies against large-scale data breaches are pivotal in understanding the broader security concerns linked to healthcare technology.