Between text messages, video chats, tweets and televisions the size of our palm, methods of communication are changing by the minute. Fifteen years ago, you had to pick up the phone, write a letter, or stay home to catch your favorite weekly program. Now, as our lives move at warp speed, technology is actually changing to keep pace.
While the medical industry is constantly evolving as well, introducing new medications, protocols and equipment, one important element left in the dust is the storage and retrieval of medical files by everyone involved with the patient, including the patient himself. Doctors and nurses, of course, have ready access to the patient's medical records. The patient doesn't, nor does the growing roster of caregivers who take care of our aging population.
It's time to design a way for patients to “own” their own medical records and have electronic access. Like doctors and nurses, they need to be reminded of their medical histories, medications, procedures and all other information that influences their care. Prior to departing the office, the doctor should be able to update and sign the electronic file so that the information can be accurately modified by the healthcare provider, patient and caregiver. We cannot continue to expect that individuals, especially the elderly, will be able to track the same on their own. And simply put, they deserve the right to know what's in their files and stay updated.
There are those who argue that electronic access by patients to their medical files poses a security risk, yet we've become a digitally-dependent society in all other respects. We use the Internet and even our smartphones to pay bills, buy merchandise, and manage our banking and other financial accounts. Why can't we apply the same security measures and other precautions to medical information? Doesn't it follow that we should be able to “link in” to our medical records?
Barbara Bellman is the Director of Healthcare Marketing Services for PACE Advertising.