Myth or fact? Universal “Break-the-Glass” EHR Functionality a Must

Health system leaders can expect that many of their physicians, C-suite executives, nurses and other employees—and their close family members—will receive their own health care at hospitals and clinics within the organization.That results in those employee's sensitive health information being contained in the health system’s EHR that co-workers are able to access.  To ensure that no one improperly accesses that information, health systems can ask EHR vendors to turn on “break-the-glass” EHR functionality. That functionality includes requiring an EHR user to enter additional authentication information and documentation of a specific reason for accessing a patient record before being granted access to a patient chart. A designated security or compliance staff member then tracks and monitors each time that health record is accessed.