New ACP case study examines ethics, EHR integrity, and the patient-physician relationship

A new ethics case study from ACP, “Ethics, Electronic Health Record Integrity and the Patient-Physician Relationship,” is now available for CME credit and MOC points.

Electronic health records (EHRs) are now a routine part of health care delivery, but their use can sometimes pose new ethical issues in terms of the accuracy of patient records and carries implications for the patient-physician relationship and patient care. The case study examines how the EHR should serve the goals of medicine and patient care. How do physicians not feel pressured by needing to close a chart? Balance respecting the patient's needs with features, like drop-down menus, that may not capture all options? Lines can become blurred at the expense of accuracy and honesty in today's complex health care system.

Developed by ACP's Ethics, Professionalism, and Human Rights Committee and the Center for Ethics and Professionalism, the case study is available on Medscape and a login is required. More information about ethics and professionalism activities from ACP is available online.