A technological model to define access to electronic clinical records

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Information Systems in Healthcare
• Regional Health Services

Background:

• Limited access to electronic health records (EHRs) in regional settings can impede coordinated patient care.
• Existing health information systems may not adequately address the dynamic access needs of diverse healthcare providers.
• The Australian regional healthcare context presents unique challenges for implementing shared digital health solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a functional model for accessing electronic health records (EHRs) among a limited group of healthcare providers in an Australian regional area.
• To establish design criteria for managing provider access rights within the EHR system.
• To ensure the developed model supports assignable, revokable, transportable, and informable access permissions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a functional model for EHR access.
• Implementation within a small cohort of healthcare providers in a specific Australian regional setting.
• Defining and applying design criteria for provider access rights management.

Main Results:

• A functioning model for accessing electronic health records was successfully deployed.
• Provider access rights were demonstrated to be assignable, revokable, transportable, and informable.
• The model facilitated cross-provider access to EHRs within the regional setting.

Conclusions:

• The described model provides a viable solution for enhancing EHR accessibility in regional Australian healthcare.
• The design criteria ensure robust and flexible management of provider access to sensitive health information.
• This approach supports improved information sharing and potentially better patient care coordination in underserved areas.