E/M Coding Alert - 2017 Issue 10
Be Cyber Aware: Draft an Airtight EHR-Back-Up Plan
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Article Overview
This article covers practical planning considerations for healthcare organizations preparing for electronic health record downtime in the context of cybersecurity risk and disaster preparedness. It is aimed at practices and staff responsible for continuity of operations, patient safety, and workflow management, and it references federal SAFER guidance as a framework for contingency planning. The discussion focuses on broad operational areas such as backups, paper fallback processes, communication, scheduling, and maintaining critical clinical information during an outage.
Why This Topic Matters
EHR interruptions can affect patient safety, clinical workflow, and operational continuity. Understanding contingency planning helps practices prepare staff and processes before an outage occurs.
Article Sections
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Plan ahead for downtime
Introduces the need for advance preparation, staff awareness, and practice drills for EHR outages. It frames downtime readiness as part of broader cybersecurity and disaster planning.
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Patient safety priorities
Discusses safety-focused planning areas to consider when an EHR is unavailable. The section emphasizes keeping essential clinical information accessible and maintaining core patient care workflows.
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Operational continuity and paper fallback
Covers backup approaches for scheduling, charting, forms, and other paper-based workflows during downtime. It also touches on maintaining departmental process continuity across the practice.
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Federal guidance and SAFER resources
References federal contingency planning guidance and related safety resources. The section places EHR unavailability in the context of recognized patient safety and operational risk.
What You Will Learn
- How healthcare organizations can prepare for EHR downtime
- What broad operational areas should be included in a backup plan
- Why patient safety is central to contingency planning
- How federal guidance supports downtime preparedness
Who Should Read This
- Physicians and practice administrators
- Medical office managers
- Health information management staff
- Clinical and operational staff responsible for EHR continuity
- Compliance and quality teams
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