Health Information Technology: Saving Lives and Saving Money: protecting privacy while developing and delivering effective, efficient, personalized health and healthcare
Paper Kills 2.0: Using Health Information Technology to Save Lives and Save Money
Think of the first time you saw an iPhone in action. Or the first time you browsed the Internet or the first PC you bought. What did you think? Most were probably blown away. We intuitively knew that we held something transformational.
What do you think when you see a paper medical record? Rather than the excitement of innovation and progress, it’s typically something like, “Do I really have to fill this information out again?” And that’s just the convenience factor. Most of us are unaware of the price we pay for both lower quality care and higher costs.
For these reasons and more, it is essential that we move healthcare into the 21st century through health information technology. The benefits are clear. Updated, accurate, and comprehensive patient information at the point of care will prevent medical errors and will allow physicians, nurses, and providers to make better, more informed decisions. Electronic access to information will reduce duplicative and unnecessary tests and treatments. Automating cumbersome, manual processes will streamline workflow, eliminate inefficiencies, and lower costs. These are facts.
The Obama administration will invest tens of billions of dollars to get modern tools like electronic health records into the hands of doctors and other providers.
Will it be enough? What are the solutions that ultimately get the 96% of physicians who don’t currently use an advanced electronic medical record to adopt and “meaningfully” use one? What are the solutions that will ultimately lead to a modern, electronic, interoperable system?
Health Information Technology, or getting health records in digital form and operating in the 21st Century is a wonderful idea whose time has come. As an American, and also as a Floridian whose health information privacy is guaranteed by the State Constitution, my deep concern is for the guarantee of privacy.
Currently, there is no guarantee of privacy with email or cell phone usage. If you want privacy, you have to take extra precautions such as encrypting your email for example. Not very practical for most folks.
Health records privacy for various reasons is absolutely critical and must be at the forefront of any advancement of this technology.
What assurances can be provided that medical records will be kept confidential?
Posted by: Mike Nichols | 02/24/2010 at 08:58 AM
An acceptable nationwide codifying system is probably the first priority- but we must realize that the output is only as good as the human input.
Mistakes will be made, and decisions made upon those errors. When this occurs, the question of liability will come up.
In order to assure a patient's privacy, it would be wise to develop a patient code (patient CARD?) to keep medical records private and solely between doctor and patient. The patient should have access to this at all times- anyone else only on a need to know basis with patient permission. No code, no access.
As another safeguard, for reasons of privacy AND mechanical/software failure, it would probably be best to keep each state's records separate from other states and separate from military records. Accessible across computers should occur only by special consideration.
BILLING information should be kept separate from diagnosis/comments.
NONE of this should be linked to anyone's bank account.
Posted by: P. Laudenslager | 02/24/2010 at 09:28 AM
In the workforce, if you lose your job, our society has measures to provide you with a basic "subsistance" income until you can do for yourself.
Maybe "less-than-perfect" healthcare as "subsistance" healthcare could be created for those in our society who do not have or cannot get healthcare coverage... it could be approached on two fronts... first would be public clinics manned by interns and second tier medical personel... secondly, a see a Dr. system that would be like the Airline's "standby" ticket. If the public clinic refers you to a Dr. for more examination of your condition, you will be entered into a computer system which finds a Dr. who has an opening, but not necessarily an immediate opening... this might be as fair to the currently un-insured as we hear the systems in some other countries are.
Posted by: Ron Brown | 02/24/2010 at 09:45 AM
Even if there was a reconciliation between the Democrats and the Republicans on the health care bill, I doubt if either of them fully comprehend the complex issues. When there is so much corruption and influence peddling by lobbyists, it is in their best interest to remain in a limbo position and drag their feet. I believe that Prsident Obama is the only honest soul who wants to get the process rolling. Heath care will be tweaked just like any other policy or system in place. To pass the health care bill in its basic form and make changes as we move along is the only way to help those who have nothing at all.
Posted by: Yppop1 | 02/25/2010 at 01:26 PM