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Good article. The consumer does need to be the center of the health care information system. It really begins with the patient. What is the first thing we do when we go to the docto? We tell them everything about ourselves. So the patient needs to be educated on how important it is to be accurate and they need a device to allow them to be accurate. More education needs to be done to link phsyicians and patients in this endeavor.

I completely agree that healthcare vendors / institutions need to get over themselves and allow patients to control their own healthcare information. For too long providers have been reluctant to share raw data with patients, often citing the need for providers to be able to talk candidly about patients without worrying about them reading their notes over their shoulders. At the same time, however, providers wanted patients to take more responsibility for their own care–expecting accountability without information is folly.

HIPAA tries to address some of these issues but the general population does not understand the accessibility portion of the law and providers have little to no incentive to educate them. Empowering patients is a central promise of both Google Health, Microsoft Health Vault, and others, and is a worthwhile goal. Patients, however, will need to be better educated before they will be able to truly unlock their potential

While I agree that this is the not end of the story for personal health record providers, companies like Google and Microsoft are doing a poor job by having such vulnerabilities. They should have done more testing. If these kinds of issues are exposed in the major news papers, it would be very hard to see how people start embracing electronic health records.

I think Obama’s push for health records will pick steam and hope these products will be mature as more and more people start using their products. For that to happen health record provider companies have to be very vigilant.

Your article is well spoken. Patients, or a concern for patients, need to be at the center of the solution. I think most physicians want a system that enables them to provide the best care possible. Having all of the information they need at their fiingertips, when the patient is wheeled into the ER, is invaluable, and will save money and time as the physician works through his/her diagnosis. Relying on patient memory in an emergency situation is not a good idea; who can remember when they had their last physical when they have just been in a car accident? I have a Microsoft HealthVault account for that reason. I want to be able to produce a thorough medical record for myself or my family members, as needed. Adding EHRs will create an even more comprehensive assessment. I agree there will be bumps in this road. But the end result will be better outcomes for patients everywhere.

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this is a very nice post

There is always the good, bad and the ugly about everything. Patients, I for one, want their information to be available to their physician, themselves and their family members who have a need to know. In todays world there doesn’t seem to be any reverance for life anymore. Abortion is fine, age holds a factor in who gets what treatment, and there is always the case of the poor who we say has a right to treatment but no one wants to give it to them. Patients want security of their health information and they want to the right to say who has it. This obviously presents a problem to the health community who wants the freedom to pass it around, with or without the patients permission. Education, openness and trust on both sides of the fence is needed so that each side feels secure. Guess we are still in the “drawing board” stage.

I totally agree that patients need to have their healthcare information online, in a manner that allows them the control of the information. After caring for my two parents over the last three years, it was apparent to me that I needed to keep all the current information in a folder for each that was ready to the ER at a moment’s notice. Nobody prepares us for the role of patient advocate for our family members with what to do, what materials to have ready for health emergencies. I’m so committed to this journey that I’m starting a consulting business to help educate consumers using strength-based practices and social networking on how they can learn and get involved in this patient centered movement and the PHR issues. Technology can be a great help, if more people clearly understood the advantages. it’s simplicity and how to get more information about setting this information up manually or online with trusted resources who will keep this information secure. Hopefully, this can be a first step to involving consumers in their health and well-being. Thank you for posting this article-it really confirmed my mission.

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