The law that requires all healthcare providers to use interoperable EHR systems took effect Jan. 1, and while all hospitals and nearly all primary care clinics are in compliance, other providers have said the conversion is too expensive and that they worry about patient privacy, according to MPR News.
The state health department has said the requirement aims to improve the efficiency and safety of healthcare delivery. A bill currently moving through the Minnesota state legislature would create an exception for practices with seven or fewer caregivers, which would include approximately 80 percent of clinics and defeat the purpose of the requirement, department officials say, according to the report.
Other providers have expressed concerns about privacy because of the data sharing requirement. Psychotherapists may face difficulty getting their patients to open up if they were required to share the entire medical record with other providers under the requirement, according to the report.
