Which practice best aligns with the Information Technology Standard in healthcare?

• A. Filing paper records in a cabinet.
• B. Using secure electronic health records and IT systems.
• C. Performing manual data entry without audit trails.
• D. Ignoring software updates.

Answer: (B)

Secure handling of patient information through electronic systems is a core requirement in healthcare IT standards. Using secure electronic health records and IT systems ensures that patient data is protected, traceable, and accessible only to authorized users, with proper authentication, encryption, and audit trails. This supports privacy, data integrity, and timely, safe care, while also meeting compliance needs like HIPAA and interoperability expectations.

Filing paper records, while traditional, lacks robust security, traceability, and easy sharing across care teams. Performing manual data entry without audit trails sacrifices data accuracy and accountability. Ignoring software updates leaves systems vulnerable to security gaps and noncompliance.