Canadian Health Information Management Association Practice Exam

If a hardware failure impacts a clinic's EMR, which plan should be initiated immediately?

1. Business continuity

2. Information system strategic

3. Privacy impact assessment

4. Project plan

The correct answer is: Business continuity

In the event of a hardware failure impacting a clinic's Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, initiating a business continuity plan is crucial. This type of plan is specifically designed to ensure that critical business functions can continue during and after a disaster or unexpected disruption, such as a hardware failure. The business continuity plan includes strategies for maintaining operations, minimizing downtime, and ensuring that healthcare services can proceed with minimal interruption to patient care. The essence of a business continuity plan is to quickly restore access to essential systems, data, and processes. This involves contingency measures such as data backups, alternative operational methods, and if necessary, temporary systems that can be utilized while the primary hardware is being repaired or replaced. In contrast, an information system strategic plan focuses on long-term goals and the direction of technology use within the organization rather than immediate response. A privacy impact assessment is concerned with evaluating how personal data is handled and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations, which is not an immediate response to hardware failures. A project plan typically outlines steps and timelines for specific projects, rather than addressing the urgent need to continue operations during an unexpected equipment failure. Thus, the business continuity plan stands out as the most appropriate and immediate response to ensure that the clinic can continue providing care amidst the