Final answer:
The use of health records to monitor bioterrorism activity is a secondary purpose, as the primary function is patient care documentation. Addressing the balance of health care quality, cost, and privacy involves critical questions about data sharing security, acceptable privacy risks, and patient control over personal health information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of the health record to monitor bioterrorism activity is considered b. a secondary purpose of the health record. This is because the primary purpose of health records is to document patient care and serve as a communication tool among healthcare providers. However, health records can also be used for public health surveillance, which includes monitoring for bioterrorism events, making such use a secondary purpose.
Concerning the protection and privacy of electronic health records, policy development must address several critical questions to balance competing interests. Three key questions include:
- How can health data be securely shared among providers while minimizing the risk of unauthorized access?
- What are the acceptable levels of privacy risk when implementing systems that can enhance the quality of healthcare and possibly reduce costs?
- In what ways can patients be empowered to control their health information without impeding the ability of healthcare providers to deliver timely and effective care?
These questions tackle important aspects such as security, the costs of treatments and diagnoses, patient quality of life, and the balance between these factors and individual privacy risks.