This may open some controversies.
According to a pair of US studies, patients want easy access to any
doctor's notes recorded in their medical records and they want the
right to let others view their medical records. This bothers me in
so many ways. Yes, I would like easier access to my own medical
records, but reserve the right to prohibit others from viewing them.
There are many sides to this issue and some changes needed.
The other issue in this article is the
idea that there is more evidence that some in the medical community
want to see patients actively participate in their care and know what
is happening and this will improve their care. This is very much
needed although many patients still want the doctor to make the
decision and give them the pill that will solve the problem. Wake up
patients; only if you take time to learn about your condition or
medical problem, chances are that your health may improve. Old
habits must be removed and new knowledge replaces them.
Presently there is a long and tedious
process to obtain copies of many medical records, while are some are
easily accessible. When you have an appointment, be sure to ask the
nurse and the doctor for copies of your lab reports if lab work was
done for your appointment. These they should provide immediately and
most do without hesitation. Once you leave the office, then time
becomes a problem as you must sign forms and wait for copies. In
addition, there may be a charge for making copies. Other records are
more difficult to come by.
These studies are interesting as they
talk about transparency and making medical records more available.
If only this could work, instead of being as tedious as is the
process is now. Most medical facilities seem to work the “wear
them down” mantra in getting copies of their medical records. They
will work every angle in delay and make a mistake and they
legitimately delay your access.
This statement is interesting,
“Increasingly, health systems are making
it easier for patients to get access to prescription lists, lab
results and, sometimes, doctors' notes. Delbanco said one reason is
that "the whole world is becoming transparent ... The other is
that computers make it easier."” I
hope Dr. Tom Delbanco at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and
Harvard Medical School is right in his statement. This runs contrary
to most information I have seen on this topic.
E-patient Dave (Dave deBronkart) is a
patient advocate writer and speaker and believes that patients can
become a second set of eyes to prevent things from falling through
the cracks. He also feels that patients are capable of helping avoid
mistakes. I agree here, but there are times when
it may be best to withhold some tests results until the doctor has
reviewed them and can present them with a complete explanation.
The numbers of patients wanting to
share their information with other providers and family members
(spouse) seems to vary depending on the study. One group had 35
percent privacy concerns while 22 percent were interested in sharing
their doctor's notes with a family member, doctor, or other health
professional. At the Veterans Affairs medical centers, about 80
percent would designate primarily a spouse to have access to their
records.
In this article, a majority of the
doctors (over two-thirds) did not like the idea of patients having
access to their notes or educating the patients. These are the
doctors that I am concerned about, that want their patients to follow
them blindly and their directions without question.
Since this is a topic becoming more
talked about, please take time to read both articles and some of
e-patient Dave's blogs. Some doctors are bound to resist this trend,
some doctors will resist mildly, and others will welcome the change.
Which group will your doctor be a member.
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