implementation, maintenance, and training employees to use the systems are too expensive to be afforded by many doctors and health institutions. The issue of privacy and confidentiality of patient’s information is a major challenge. The number of professionals with access to patient’s information recorded, filed and stored in a health institution is limited within that proximity. With EHRs, information can be viewed any time by many health professionals, an aspect which discourages many patients. Moreover, information can be easily altered because EHRs are not centralized; thus medical professionals can access and modify data from other electronic systems.
There is a need for a centralized EHR because some systems are not compatible. Using technology is not a guarantee that information is safe. Sometimes, problems develop causing viruses or “crashes” in electronic systems. In such cases, information may be lost. Nurses, specialists, and doctors can make mistakes during data entry. The system may be confusing and time-consuming at the initial stages. Inability or unwillingness of employees to embrace the new technology may be a challenge. Failure of the systems, for instance because of power failure, discontinues operations for some period of time.