Conclusion

“The objective of the electronic health record is to get the right information to the right person at the right time” (Canadian Health Infoway, 2006, p. 1). Using the seven principles of the Canadian Nurses Association Code of Ethics, the ethical considerations needed to grant remote access to the EHRs of client’s to healthcare workers were examined. Terms such as non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, privacy and justice were all discussed to show that with special consideration and planning, remote access to EHRs could be beneficial to both the healthcare worker and the patient. Governments all over the whole have spent millions of dollars to develop EHRs and continue to do so in an effort to have a completely interoperable tool for the future. Howevert, healthcare workers must always remain accountable for the impact that their actions may have on patients, both positive and negative, when remotely accessing EHRs.