Privacy protections afforded by computer-based patient record systems

Computer-based patient record (CPR) systems can afford greater protection of private health information. Key factors that enhance security of CPR systems include the capability to identify the user, verify authorization, determine legitimacy of use, restrict retrieval to only specific "need-to-know" information, encrypt access mechanisms and content, and track all access. The public demands greater protections for computer systems than for paper-based systems. Coupled with appropriate internal management controls and federal preemptive privacy law, breaches of confidentiality from CPRs would occur virtually through the only means that cannot be safeguarded: human communication.