Until now there has been no unified movement toward paperless health records, which will undoubtedly aid patients in collection of their personal health information. Another factor in the adoption of paperless health records is access by providers. Dr. Bradford Walters, Chair of the Standing Advisory Committee, said that this resolution is important because at the present time there is no secure way for one set of providers quickly to communicate with one another. In an emergency situation, this can be a problem. Immediate, secure access by healthcare providers to a patient's information is becoming increasingly important.
Electronic solutions are a viable next step.
Security is of the utmost importance when dealing with personal information in electronic form and the Standing Advisory Committee considered this a crucial portion of the resolution. Access can be limited to only those individuals with appropriate clearance, and each event of access can be securely logged. They also will be capable of looking for early signs of potential epidemics and emerging infectious diseases. This could have proven invaluable following hurricane Floyd in 1999, and surveillance could also be used as an early warning system for acts of bioterrorism. Walters said that the resolution is the result of collaborative efforts of all of the Standing Advisory Committee representatives and their respective organizations.