AHIMA issues position statement on copy and paste in EHRs

Article

On March 17, 2014, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) issued a position statement outlining its view on the appropriate use of the copy/paste functionality in electronic health records (EHRs). AHIMA’s position is that copy/paste functionality in EHRs should be permitted only in the presence of strong technical and administrative controls, including policies and procedures, user training and education, and ongoing monitoring. For organizations using copy/paste functionality, the benefits (efficiency and time savings) should be weighed against the risks (potentially inaccurate or compromised records). The risks open an organization up to legal issues such as fraud and abuse and medical errors.

AHIMA made the following recommendations for health care provider organizations:

  • Develop policies and procedures addressing the proper use of copy/paste to ensure compliance with governmental, regulatory and industry standards
  • Address the use of features such as copy/paste in information included in governance processes
  • Provide comprehensive training and education on the proper use of copy/paste to all EHR system users
  • Monitor compliance and enforce policies and procedures regarding the use of copy/paste — institute corrective action as necessary

AHIMA’s position statement also included a number of recommendations for industry stakeholders, EHR system developers and the public sector.

Industries & Practices

Media Contact

Subscribe to Receive Updates
Jump to Page

Necessary Cookies

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage. We access and process information from these cookies at an aggregate level.