Resumen
Historically, the security of information systems (IS) in general has not been seriously considered in many instances until after a breach in security has occurred. Although in the mainframe era of centralized computing, security was given serious consideration and there was centralized control, in today's decentralized world of networked personal computers and workstations, security can be a complicated issue. This issue is of increasing importance to everyone as our personal health care information becomes easier to access through modern electronic communications systems. The American Health Information Management Association has addressed confidentiality and security issues in a practice brief concerning telemedical records and recommends particular general actions to take. It is not that security devices do not exist for these newer systems. It is as much a people-management issue as it is an issue of technological capabilities. Insurance companies, managed health care organizations, and even employers are interested in access to an individual's medical records in their attempt to reduce expenses. Implementation of a new technology requires thought on the parts of developers as early as in the analysis and design phases of successfully implementable health systems.