A nurse is discussing advancing interprofessional communication on the unit. Which of the following should the nurse identify as a barrier to this advancement?

Choice A reason: Telephone number is an acceptable identifier to use to identify the client. According to the Safety and Quality Improvement Guide Standard 5: Patient Identification and Procedure Matching, telephone number is one of the approved patient identifiers that can be used to reliably identify the individual as the person for whom the service or treatment is intended. Telephone number is a person specific identifier that is unlikely to be shared by another client.
Choice B reason: Room number is not an acceptable identifier to use to identify the client. According to the Safety and Quality Improvement Guide Standard 5: Patient Identification and Procedure Matching, room number is not an example of a unique patient identifier. Room number is not a person specific identifier, but a location specific identifier that can change or be assigned to another client.
Choice C reason: Medical condition is not an acceptable identifier to use to identify the client. According to the Safety and Quality Improvement Guide Standard 5: Patient Identification and Procedure Matching, medical condition is not an example of a unique patient identifier. Medical condition is not a person specific identifier, but a health specific identifier that can be common or vague among different clients.
Choice D reason: Home address is not an acceptable identifier to use to identify the client. According to the Safety and Quality Improvement Guide Standard 5: Patient Identification and Procedure Matching, home address is not an example of a unique patient identifier. Home address is not a person specific identifier, but a place specific identifier that can be shared or changed by the client.

Choice A: This is the correct answer. An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a client's medical history and other health information that can be accessed by authorized providers and the client. A personal health record (PHR) is a subset of an EHR that allows the client to view and manage their own health information, such as medications, allergies, test results, and appointments. A PHR can enhance the client's satisfaction, engagement, and empowerment in their health care.
Choice B: This is incorrect. Provides providers client information to track for research studies is not a benefit of an electronic health record, but a potential use of it. EHRs can facilitate health research by providing large and diverse data sets that can be analyzed for various purposes, such as clinical trials, epidemiology, and quality improvement. However, this use of EHRs must comply with ethical and legal standards, such as informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality.
Choice C: This is incorrect. Grants significant other access to client information is not a benefit of an electronic health record, but a matter of the client's preference and consent. EHRs must protect the client's privacy and confidentiality rights, and only disclose their information to authorized parties, such as health care providers, insurers, or public health agencies. The client can choose to share their information with their significant other or anyone else, but they must give explicit permission to do so.
Choice D: This is incorrect. Coordinates all healthcare client has received into one platform is not a benefit of an electronic health record, but a goal of it. EHRs aim to improve the coordination and continuity of care by allowing multiple providers to access and update the same information, enabling real-time collaboration, and providing decision support tools. However, this goal is not fully achieved yet, as there are still challenges and barriers to the interoperability and integration of EHRs across different settings and systems.