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Kimberley Greatorex May 25 4:30pm Reply from Kimberley Greatorex The transition to electronic health records (EHRs) has significantly improved healthcare accessibility and continuity of care, but it has also introduced major challenges involving interoperability, implementation costs, cybersecurity, and data quality. The HITECH provisions within ARRA accelerated EHR adoption with the goal of making patient information accessible at the point of care regardless of location. However, the rapid expansion of EHR vendors, software platforms, and programming standards created fragmented healthcare systems that often struggle to communicate effectively. One major advantage of EHRs is improved coordination of care. Providers can quickly access patient histories, medications, laboratory results, and imaging records, which can reduce duplicate testing and improve patient safety. According to Gallagher Malpractice (n.d.), EHR systems improve provider collaboration and workflow efficiency, but they also introduce cybersecurity and liability concerns. These interoperability gaps can also increase operational inefficiencies by delaying treatment decisions, increasing administrative burden, and contributing to fragmented patient care. The COVID-19 pandemic further demonstrated both the importance and weaknesses of health information exchange (HIE). Public health agencies and healthcare organizations relied heavily on rapid data sharing for surveillance, reporting, vaccination outreach. Need Assignment Help?