Shelly K. Schwartz, writing in Medical Economics, discusses whether HIPAA and EHR interoperability are at odds.

She notes:

“The adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) presents doctors with a dilemma when it comes to protecting patient health data.

“On the one hand, Medicare provides incentive payments for meaningful use of EHRs, which requires doctors to capture, store and securely share protected health information with their patients and other providers. On the other, HIPAA makes healthcare providers accountable for keeping protected health information (PHI) confidential, delivering hefty fines for those who fail to comply.”