A note from the editor-in-chief

Abstract

Welcome to the November-December 2017 Editor-in-Chief's page. This editorial column focuses on a growing concern for patient privacy and safety that has been spawned by the adoption of cyber-based technologies involved in documentation and healthcare. Two years ago, the Affordable Care Act mandated that American physicians begin to use an electronic health record (EHR) in their routine provision of patient care. While this seemed to be a reasonable requirement at the time, the events that have followed have shown that there have been unintended consequences that have actually compromised not only patient care but the protection of personal information that is attached to each medical encounter.