Final answer:
A legal record upon which an EHR is based includes confidentiality and protection mandates from HIPAA, alongside considerations from the ACA, which aims to reduce administrative costs and promote EMRs. Policies must balance cost efficiency, quality of life, and individual privacy risks carefully.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the legal record upon which an Electronic Health Record (EHR) is based in a care delivery organization. The legal framework for EHRs is significantly shaped by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which mandates the confidentiality and protection of patient health information. When developing policies related to health records, it is essential to address the following concerns: the costs of treatments and diagnoses, patient quality of life, and risks to individual privacy. Balancing these factors requires thoughtful consideration, particularly in light of modern digital records sharing practices that aim to improve healthcare quality and reduce costs.
Additionally, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduced measures to control healthcare costs, such as administrative spending caps and the mandate to switch to electronic medical records (EMRs). These records are a cornerstone for modern healthcare delivery, intended to streamline administrative processes and ensure secure, efficient healthcare.
Legal considerations, such as patient privacy rights, significantly complicate the sharing of digital records. Safeguards must be established to prevent unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, particularly in situations that could potentially reveal a patient's diagnosis, such as the contact tracing of sexual partners.