title: Moral and prudential considerations in adopting electronic medical records.
abstract: One might argue that beneficence entails a moral obligation for health care providers and systems to adopt electronic medical records (EMR). But this argument is thwarted because EMR systems are currently not required to meet existing standards of care for health care services. Yet using EMR systems may still be prudent if benefits of adoption significantly outweigh burdens. Future moral questions regarding EMR systems will shift from obligations of adoption to that of proper use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management and Informatics, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Win
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fleming
mesh_terms: D016494:Computer Security; D003219:Confidentiality; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000941:ethics* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009014:Morals
references.citation: JAMA. 2002 Oct 23-30;288(16):1955-8
references.pmid: 12387634
references.citation: Healthc Financ Manage. 2008 Jul;62(7):76-81
references.pmid: 18683417
references.citation: MGMA Connex. 2005 Feb;5(2):15-7
references.pmid: 15756740
references.citation: JAMA. 2005 Mar 9;293(10):1197-203
references.pmid: 15755942
references.citation: J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2004 Mar-Apr;11(2):104-12
references.pmid: 14633936
references.citation: Health Aff (Millwood). 2005 Sep-Oct;24(5):1103-17
references.pmid: 16162551
references.citation: Nurs Econ. 2003 Mar-Apr;21(2):85-8
references.pmid: 12739199
references.citation: MGMA Connex. 2005 Feb;5(2):15-6
references.pmid: 15754808
references.citation: J Gen Intern Med. 2005 Aug;20(8):677-82
references.pmid: 16050873
references.citation: Health Manag Technol. 2007 May;28(5):36-7
references.pmid: 17557729
references.citation: Am J Med. 2009 Jun;122(6):495-6
references.pmid: 19486708
references.citation: Urology. 2008 Feb;71(2):173-7
references.pmid: 18308076
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2008 Jul 3;359(1):50-60
references.pmid: 18565855
references.citation: Stud Health Technol Inform. 2004;107(Pt 1):592-6
references.pmid: 15360881
references.citation: Health Manag Technol. 2007 Apr;28(4):26, 28
references.pmid: 17760312
references.citation: Med Econ. 2007 Apr 20;84(8):32-4, 37
references.pmid: 17539233
references.citation: J Med Pract Manage. 2007 Sep-Oct;23(2):80-3
references.pmid: 17974082
references.citation: Health Aff (Millwood). 2004 Mar-Apr;23(2):116-26
references.pmid: 15046136
references.citation: Healthc Q. 2008;11(1):122-5
references.pmid: 18326390
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 2005 Aug 2;143(3):222-6
references.pmid: 16061920
references.citation: J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2003 Jan-Feb;10(1):1-10
references.pmid: 12509352