Many industries are currently adopting the use of advanced technology to carry out the tasks they engage in. This has led to much more data to be stored electronically in various devices as compared to files which used to be the case a few years ago. The data stored in in some of these electronic devices is very crucial and confidential to the senior managers of the firm especially if the firm is dealing with such data as health records and financial statements. All necessary and stringent security measures should be put into place by the organization to ensure no unlicensed person gets access to such data. It is also well known that human beings tend to abuse, waste or defraud whenever lots of money are left in any firm without proper management. It is very important to report instances of fraud or potential abuse of electronic health records (EHR) to save human lives as well prevent loss of taxpayer’s money. The following benefits are realized by the government and corporations when they report potential instances of fraud of electronic healthcare records.
First and foremost, reporting fraud of electronic healthcare records saves a patient’s life. It has become common nowadays for fraudsters to use people’s healthcare records to gain benefits or tarnish their public image.
When fraudsters lay hands on personal health records and leak them to the family of the victim or colleagues, the patient will not only suffer physically but also psychologically. Reporting fraud of electronic health records is therefore vital for the good psychological and physical health of the patient.
Secondly, preventing electronic health records fraud saves the taxpayer’s money. The reason for this is that taxes paid by individuals in the states when attending healthcare facilities will be channeled to the development of infrastructure other than being consumed by a few self-centered fraudsters. The relevant authorities in the state can also focus their attention in advancing the economy as a whole instead of merely diverting all the attention to electronic healthcare records fraud.
Another key merit of curbing electronic health records fraud is that it promotes electronic health information (EHI) privacy. Most of us are aware of how health records of an individual should be handled with care and confidentiality. People dread finding their personal health records shared with relatives, colleagues or via social media platforms. It is therefore very important when potential fraud of electronic health records is reported early enough to prevent breach of the privacy agreement between the patient and the health practitioner. Fraudulent health practitioners can be sued before they leak or sell an individual’s health information which ensures they are either stopped from carrying their businesses or they practice ethics in their day to day activities.