The guideline of the personal health data structure to secure safety healthcare. The balance between use and protection to satisfy the patients' needs.
OBJECTIVE
To inform about the impact of a recent movement towards a policy to develop integrative networked electronic health record (EHR) as a basis for cooperation among care teams and with patients and in support of safe patient care in Japan.


METHODS
The author headed a commission developing policy for health record (HR) structure and its computerization. It executed two questionnaire surveys as the basis for its work. One survey assessed the current state of computerization of health record in the hospitals certified by Japan Council for Quality Health Care (JCQHC). The other survey assessed the attitudes towards a specific EHR system in the Hiroshima University Hospital and its affiliate hospitals.


RESULTS
The survey of the above hospitals showed that most have computer supported administrative procedures, but only few computer-based health records. The attitudes of the Hiroshima EHR users show that while they expect efficiency and quality improvements, there is also apprehension that the system in use might lower practical efficiency and compromise patient safety. Accordingly, health recording requirements and storage policy have been restructured and communicated to the hospitals.


CONCLUSIONS
These insights led to the initiation of curricula educating "Health Information Technologist" which is promoted by Japan Association Medical Informatics and the criterion of Chart Review Promotion of JCQHC. They will also lead to recommendation for improved and advanced EHR.
Ishikawa
Kiyomu
K
Healthcare Informatics and Hospital Systems Management Department, Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan. Kiyomu@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Ohmichi
Hisashi
H
Umesato
Yoshimasa
Y
Terasaki
Hitoshi
H
Tsukuma
Hidehiko
H
Iwata
Norikazu
N
Tanaka
Takeshi
T
Kawamura
Akie
A
Sakata
Kayo
K
Sainohara
Teruko
T
Sugimura
Miyuki
M
Konishi
Nakao
N
Umemoto
Reiko
R
Mase
Shinji
S
Takesue
Shinichi
S
Tooya
Masashi
M
D003219:Confidentiality / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000592:standards*; D033283:Patient Access to Records / Q000592:standards*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction