AHIMA Issues Statement Addressing Use of Copy/Paste in EHRs

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has issued a position statement warning about the potential dangers of copying and pasting within electronic health records (EHRs). According to AHIMA, use of the copy/paste functionality in EHRs can result in redundant, erroneous, and/or incomprehensible health record documentation, and misuse of the functionality has the potential to result in or contribute to several overarching challenges, with implications for the quality and safety of patient care, medicolegal integrity of the health record, and fraud and abuse allegations. AHIMA believes that the use of copy/paste functionality in EHRs should be permitted only in the presence of strong technical and administrative controls.